Naruto: Blood Moon Saga
by KatanaBladeArtist
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, Konoha's Rookie of the Year and member of Team Seven, harbors a deep secret…one that will cost him his life if revealed. What he doesn't know, however, is that the more he keeps from his friends, the more danger they're in. Multi-chapter AU set at the beginning of the anime. SasuSaku and slight NaruHina.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Roar, Uchiha! The Four Pillars of the Main House!

**毒**

"TOU-SAN! KAA-SAN!"

The middle-aged couple in question looked up, charcoal eyes betraying the curiosity their facial muscles would not.

The man was tall, all tanned skin and black hair and _authority. _The navy-and-white yukata that cloaked him billowed out slightly as he turned, face set in an impassive expression.

The woman, on the other hand, was delicate, a porcelain doll with midnight hair and irises made of onyx gems, dressed in a simple yellow dress with dark gray long-sleeves beneath. She started, spinning on her heels to watch the intruder with shocked eyes.

The intruder in question? A reserved, twelve-year-old boy with his mother's looks, tear troughs cutting deep into his cheeks, wearing a high-collared gray shirt and white shorts. However, the normally-emotionless face was twisted into a grimace of fear and worry.

"Itachi? What is it?"

"A mononoke…a rogue mononoke…bit Sasuke."

Itachi panted, eyes completely dilated. His mother and father looked at one another, then back at him.

"I left my real self with him…it looks really bad…"

The boy forced a swallow, then turned and ran, the other two close on his heels, hoping that they weren't too late to save the seven-year-old child.

**毒**

The clone disappeared halfway to their house, but Mikoto and Fugaku knew the way. They burst into the room, and Mikoto's eyes immediately caught her youngest son, writhing in pain, blood pouring from his torn throat. The real Itachi kneeled beside him, trying desperately to stem the flow of liquid. With glowing greenish-blue hands, the teen ghosted his fingers over his little brother's neck, the warm, comforting energy lacing through the ragged edges of the wound and mending the shredded flesh.

Within seconds, the gash was fully healed. Then, the small, fine-boned boy shrieked again as it burst back open. The blood leaking from it now was black in color, thick, with the viscosity of heavy syrup. Itachi shook his head, pulling his hands away from his brother.

"I can't heal it…this is my fourth try. ANBU-required medical ninjutsu won't cut it."

Mikoto tied her hair back, already prepping herself for action. She used to work in the hospital, after all, and she knew her fair share of healing techniques, most more potent than her son's required emergency field knowledge.

"Itachi, run and get the Hokage. Fugaku, get ready to loan me your chakra. We're in for a long night."

**毒**

An elderly man in long, white-and-red robes stood at the window of his office, looking out at the village he ruled and smoking an elegant, black-and-gold pipe. The white haze filled the air with the scent of burning grasses and ashes, curling around the wrinkled, battle-scarred old ninja like a think, transparent snake. He half-turned at a peculiar sound, almost like a droplet of water hitting a silent pond, mixed with a muffled exhale. The remnants of white smoke, not his own, dissipated into the air as a rather ruffled-looking boy stood. With a start, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, realized his shirt was soaked in blood that was not his own. And judging from the terrified expression on the usually-apathetic youngster's face, he didn't want to know who it belonged to. He closed his eyes, a quick flare of chakra snuffing out his pipe as he grasped the boy's shoulder.

"Let's go, Itachi-kun."

Another swirl of smoke; another odd noise; and the previously-occupied office was empty, devoid of the two ninja it had once held.

The two ninja who had run to the aid of one of their own, attacked in their home.

**毒**

Fugaku Uchiha wasn't a very happy man to begin with. Sure, he had a beautiful wife, genius son, and another with the potential to become the most powerful Uchiha seen in years, but it just _wasn't in his nature _to be bubbly. It's said that the day he smiles is the day the world ends. Case in point? The day his youngest son, Sasuke, was born, he smiled for the first time in six years. Later that year…the Kyuubi's attack decimated the village, costing them the life of the Fourth Hokage. Similarly, several days after he smiled at Itachi's birth, the first catch-Tora mission was assigned to a squad of _extremely _unlucky Genin, who would swear that the animal was possessed by a demon from hell itself.

The point is, Fugaku was _not _amused. Not in the _slightest._

"What the hell do you _mean, _you can't catch it?!"

"U-uchiha-sama…the mononoke is too powerful. None of our long-range attacks can make contact."

"What about close-range?!"

"Our men aren't willing…"

"I DON'T _CARE _IF THEY'RE WILLING! MY _SON _WAS ATTACKED BY THAT DAMN THING! YOU _WILL _ELIMINATE IT, OR _I _WILL ELIMINATE _YOU!"_

The poor Uchiha clan subordinate swallowed nervously as his leader's eyes swirled with untold power, red and black locked in an endless, whirling dance of fear, pain, frustration, and absolute _fury._

"H-hai, Uchiha-sama!"

Fugaku grunted and looked back to his wife, funneling more of his energy into her system as she struggled with the grievous wound. Sasuke had lost consciousness some time ago, falling, exhausted, to the sheets of the bed where they'd placed him. His throat showed no signs of healing, and Mikoto was reaching her limit. But still, she persisted, keeping the bleeding at bay for as long as she could.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Itachi burst into the room, the Hokage trailing close behind. The old man bent over Sasuke, examining him with a practiced eye. The crow's feet around the corners of his eyes seemed to deepen as he shook his head.

"It's no use, Mikoto-chan. The virus has taken hold. All we can do now is wait."

"NO! There must be something…anything…we can do!"

"Mikoto-chan, I know it hurts. But Sasuke is too far gone. If you continue to heal him, it will only prolong his pain."

"But…"

"I know."

Fugaku could see the tears beginning to form in his wife's eyes, threatening to spill over. Roughly, he grasped her and pulled her into his chest just as she burst into wracking sobs. Itachi, meanwhile, stepped slowly over to his brother's bedside, watching as the boy he'd sworn to protect bled out onto the comforter. He stroked Sasuke's soft black hair, playing with the spiked bangs, winding them between his long, thin fingers. And it was at that moment that the bleeding stopped, and Sasuke drew his last breath.

The Hokage spoke as the rattling gasp left the youngest Uchiha's body.

"It has begun."

**毒**

_Swirls of purple, navy, and black are lashing around him, tendrils of darkness pulling him deeper, further away from the white lights and warm voices. Sasuke's scared now, scared of the rapid pace at which he descends, until the tentacles let him go and __**oh Kami he's freefalling.**_

_Sasuke's stomach drops and he screams, shutting his eyes against the wind whipping at his face, bringing his arms up in a futile cross-block, arching his back, bending his knees for the impact he knows is coming. But it never comes._

_He abruptly stops, so abruptly that he's still shrieking as he lays suspended by a thousand shimmering wires. All of them are held by a figure cloaked in black, towering over him, hood shadowing the enormous face. By now, it's reeled him in, and Sasuke is settled on the giant, pale white palm. Curving purple nails, like the spires decorating the top of the Hokage Tower, curl around him in a cold, clammy cage._

_"W-who are you?"_

**_"I am known by some as Shiso, by some as Ryuk. You, young one, may call me Shinigami-sama."_**

_"S-shini…gami?"_

**_"That's Shinigami-sama to you, impudent child. I trust you know why I am here?"_**

_"I don't even know where we are!"_

**_"I am here…because you are dead."_**

_The realization hits Sasuke like the huge, iron war-hammer his uncle Kinjo often favors. The memories he'd had suppressed are surging forward._

_(A maniacal grin from the shadows; the stench of rotting breath)_

_(Breathing, ragged and uneven, from behind him)_

_(A footstep, then the sound of limp limbs dragging in the dirt)_

_(A face, skull-like, flesh peeling away from bone as the mononoke draws closer)_

_(His muscles won't move; he's frozen in fear)_

_(Too young to die, dammit, TOO YOUNG)_

_(The feeling of teeth, long, serrated fangs, tearing through his neck)_

_(He can feel the poison pouring from the mononoke and into his bloodstream)_

_(It burns)_

_(IT BURNS)_

_(__**MAKE IT STOP!**__)_

_Sasuke gasps, head thrown back as the wound that he'd received in the real world appears on his throat. He can hear the blood gurgling deep in his lungs as he tries to speak._

_Shinigami chuckles._

**_"You've certainly got quite the imagination, haven't you? The pain in here is all in your head. You generated this reality when you died from blood loss outside. However, the mononoke was able to infect you. In short…"_**

_"When I wake up…I'll be…?"_

**_"Yes, child. The mononoke has insured your continued survival. Had you been of the 25% who do not develop your…condition, you would be dead."_**

_"So…when will I wake up?"_

**_"Right now."_**

_A blinding light shines in Sasuke's face, and the tiny boy pulls his arm up to shield his eyes. Wincing, he feels a hand on his shoulder, arms circling his waist, and fingers on his forehead. Then, he's ripped into the sky, soaring into the air until all he can see is white._

**毒**

Sasuke's eyes flew open, and for a moment Mikoto was worried that he'd gone blind. There was no iris, no pupil, only bloodshot white. His thin chest inflated with oxygen, and he arched his back, rising slightly from the bed. His hands fisted, then relaxed, revealing ripped cloth and long, thin talons. In his open mouth, she could see inch-long fangs, shining bright white against the red of his tongue. His hair seemed to grow longer and wilder, the longest spikes reaching down to his waist and haloing his head. His pupils opened again, ringed by red that wasn't the Sharingan, and the sclerae bled black. His skin, normally pale, seemed to shimmer in the room's ambient light.

"Son of Kami…"

The whisper came from Itachi, whose mouth had dropped open sometime during Sasuke's transformation. He had his hands at the boy's chest, feeling desperately for a heartbeat where there was none to be felt.

"He's…he should be…"

The Hokage was the only one in the room not otherwise affected by the seeming gravity of the situation.

"This is normal, after all…fully transformed vampires don't have heartbeats."

**毒**

_Wh…where am I? Why is everything so…bright?_

Sasuke thought, groaning slightly as his vision phased into focus. Indeed, it seemed as though the colors of the world has spontaneously decided to enhance themselves while he was unconscious; the sky was a brilliant shade of azure, the walls of the room gleamed emerald, and his brother's face shone like it had been carved from thousands upon thousands of diamonds. Everything seemed to be made of precious stones, and the light refracting off of the different surfaces was more than enough to make Sasuke wince in pain and shut his eyes.

Slowly, stiffly, he attempted to sit up, supported by Itachi's warm, familiar hands on his spine. His bangs seemed longer than they'd previously been, and Sasuke wondered just how long he'd been out. At least a month, from the look of his hair, but with the worn looks on his parents' and brother's faces, it could've been a year.

"Sasuke-kun, can you hear me? Can you understand me?"

"H-hokage-sama?"

Sasuke hated how his voice cracked, how weak it sounded. If he wanted his father to be proud of him, he had to sound strong!

"Sasuke-kun, do you remember what happened?"

"I…I don't know…"

"That's alright. You've been unconscious for five hours while your body reconstructed itself on a cellular level."

"…in Japanese?"

The Hokage sighed as the boy cocked his head, jewel-like eyes regarding him with curiosity, unaware of what had occurred.

"Your body isn't what it used to be, Sasuke-kun."

He handed the boy a small, handheld mirror that Mikoto had produced from the depths of her vanity. Sasuke took it, and his eyes widened almost immediately.

"Is that…really what I look like?"

**毒**

Mikoto could sense an oncoming emotional breakdown. It was in the way her son held himself, in his bearing as he stared down into the looking glass, his monstrous persona gazing back at him through wide, ruby eyes rimmed with black. The eyes of a demon. What Sasuke thought he'd become.

"Sasu-chan…come here."

She commanded in a soft, motherly voice. Sasuke didn't look at her as the mirror slipped from his limp fingers, shattering on the floor. He was biting his lip, and Mikoto could see beads of blood forming where the new fangs dug into unscarred flesh. His hands went to his face, covering it, as he curled into himself. She could hear him now, hear the tremble as he spoke.

"I…I'm a…"

"Sasu-chan."

"Don't look at me! Please!"

"Sasuke?"

"We…we learned about mononoke in class. Earlier in the year. And…how they kill anyone they come near. How they drink your blood until there's none left. Please, don't come near me…I'm one of _them._"

Sasuke finished speaking, silent tears trailing down his cheeks, and tried to put his head back between his knees. However, before he could, a painful flick was delivered to his forehead.

"I-itai~!"

"Foolish otouto. You seem to think that you will kill us all. Your point, as usual, is completely illogical. We are in the same room as you are, in your transformed state. You have not killed us yet. Therefore, you are no mononoke, and you are _not _a monster."

"Aniiki…"

**毒**

Itachi settled himself on the bed next to his little brother, whose face was still splotched with red from crying. Stroking the boy's long hair, he pulled the small body close to him, inhaling the cinnamon-spice scent of his skin. He felt his mother slide in next to him, and sensed his father move to her side. The Hokage watched the scene from the door, seemingly able to recognize that this was a private, family moment.

"Sasuke…no matter what you are, what you become…we'll always love you."

Their mother spoke gently, fingers twining with her youngest's. Itachi continued the rhythmic strokes, his nails scraping lightly against Sasuke's scalp. Their father said nothing, merely enveloping them all in a warm bubble of chakra, his equivalent of a hug. Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned into Itachi's chest, letting his brother's heartbeat and the feeling of his fingers combing through his hair lull him into a dreamless sleep.

"I'll leave supplies in the pantry. When you need more, come talk to me. I can get it fresh from the Nara, or from the hospital."

He turned away, and the three caught the flash of a flask, and the thin wash of red that coated the sides of the bottle. And the full impact of the situation settled in then—Sasuke was, irrevocably, undeniably, a vampire, that he needed blood to survive, and that the childlike innocence he held now would desert him in a matter of months.

The reason?

You can't get blood without the pain of others.

**毒**

Sasuke woke up some time later, curled atop his brother, listening to the strong, sure pulses of his heart. He noticed his father's chakra had left the house, while his mother's was flitting about in the kitchen.

_She seems worried._

He could tell by the way her energy writhed, flickering like candles are wont to do in the wind, swelling and ebbing like the tide. He lay his head back down as Itachi's arm came up to wrap around his waist, a comforting gesture of familial love. He looked up into warm, charcoal-bright eyes, streaked with lighter ash gray and small specks of dark, dark crimson, so dark it was almost black. The iris formed a natural, star-like pattern of slightly darker gray around the pupils, almost like a many-pointed star or many-petaled flower. He'd never noticed how beautiful his brother's eyes were until now, he reflected, because he'd almost never seen them this close.

The teen in question smirked gently, eyes lightening.

"Konichiwa, otouto."

"Aniiki? Why are you still here?"

Itachi closed his eyes; the movement softened the deep tear trenches that stretched from the inner corners of his eyes to midway over his cheeks in long, diagonal lines, the results of a seven-year career as a high-ranking ninja in one of the most powerful villages in the world.

"Because I want to be."

He seemed to be staring at something only he could see, out the window and over the thousands of trees that ringed their homeland, over the distant mountains and the top of the setting sun. Sasuke didn't question his brother, merely shifting again in lean, muscular arms to rest once more over the rhythm in the center of Itachi's chest.

He could hear the flow of blood through his brother's veins, as well as the faint hum of chakra coiling around his muscles, fuelling the lightning-fast reflexes that the Tokubetsu Jounin was so famous for.

The thoughts drifted away from Sasuke's grasp, though, when a small tendril of energy wormed its way from Itachi's palm to the center of his back. His own, small stores of chakra welcomed the invading substance, which spread itself out to thinly coat every part of his being. It was intrinsic, powerful, caring, peaceful, and intensely focused. It was the essence of his brother, the true person beneath the icy-cold front he put up for the outside world, and it was unique.

Sasuke smiled again, Itachi's chakra humming through his soul, and channeled a bit of his energy into the warm fingers that stroked his spine slowly. The brothers shared their energy and, as their heartbeats slowly fell into sync, dropped off into a calm, peaceful sleep.

In the kitchen beneath them, Mikoto smiled a secret grin.

**毒**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N:**

**Oh, thank Kami-sama! It's done, finally! This was REALLY hard to write w/o having the characters act too OOC…I'm aware that Itachi isn't really accurate, and neither is Sasuke ('cuz I kinda-sorta gave him the thought patterns of a 12-13 year old…oops?), but for Fugaku and Mikoto…well, they never really were introduced/developed in the manga OR anime, so I'm going with assumptions. Mikoto is like she is in most, if not all, other stories. Fugaku cares deeply for his family, and so does NOT act like a complete and total ice-block around them. **

**Fugaku: I am not a block of frozen water. I am a fire-style ninja. This is an illogical conclusion.**

**KatanaBladeArtist: Shut up, you. *slaps with paper fan***

**Fugaku:…**

**Itachi: LOL, hi~!**

**KBA: Itachi…you're so OOC in this chapter it's not even funny. Anyway…please do the intro piece for the next one?**

**Itachi: :3 OK~! *in Pokémon announcer guy's voice* Our young hero, six years after his first Transformation, tries to become a ninja! Join us next time for: Enter, Sasuke! The Academy Graduation Exam!**

**This chapter's page break is ****_doku, _****or ****_poison._**


	2. Ichi

**Chapter 1**

Enter, Sasuke! The Academy Graduation Exam!

**気**

_~six years later~_

The dawn brought about a change in the Village Hidden in the Leaves; the soft light banished the ever-present shadows between buildings, washing the streets in thin layers of gold, orange, and rose-tinted red. The dirt roads gleamed a burnt umber, and outside, the vendors were already hanging brightly colored banners and dressing in eye-catching shades to attract the early-morning rush of ninja heading for the mission assignment office. Wires struck thin, black lines through the sky, and telephone poles like branchless trees cleaved the clouds with their breadth.

In the middle of it all, though, a thirteen-year-old boy walked, head down, hands in his pockets. He was rather nondescript; none of the few passersby spared a glance or a word for him. His ankle-high, navy _zori _scraped at the ground, the thick grips scuffing at the dirt. His calves were wrapped with white bandages, held in place by leather straps. White cargo shorts covered his legs, loose enough to offer comfortable movement but tight enough to emphasize the lean muscles of the limbs beneath. A high-collared navy T-shirt, white on the inside, fitted itself to his torso, once again loose but tight in all the right places. White arm-warmers covered his forearms, fastening with dark blue strap-and-buckle rigs. A red-and-white fan stood out proudly on his back, a symbol he obviously wore with pride. Pale skin shone like polished marble in the brilliant early-morning light, contrasting against cobalt hair so dark it was black in anything but the right light, and eyes like spheres of black hematite streaked with slightly lighter shades of gray. His bangs framed his face, descending to his chin, and the rest spiked up in the back in soft, tapered feathers. The aristocratic features that would undoubtedly sharpen with age were rounded slightly, giving him an almost childlike appearance.

The boy strode purposefully down the streets, alone but exuding an air of complete and utter confidence, so potent it could almost be mistaken for arrogance. He was used to walking in solitude, as the female population of Konoha all wanted to…ahem…_hook up _with him for his looks and intelligence, and the rest either hated him for inadvertently taking all the girls or just didn't interact with him. Either way, he was a loner.

Just the way Sasuke liked it.

**気**

The morning of September 15th was a little more significant than any other in the year. The twenty-one students in Block A of the Leaf Village's Ninja Academy flowed into their classroom, sitting themselves at the amphitheater-style desks. They'd been in this classroom for seven years, since the age of six, learning the various skills needed to become a ninja. Few remembered those who'd dropped out over the years; each class started with over a hundred students, the numbers of which slowly dwindled as the children realized that they were either too lazy or too weak to become shinobi, leaving, mostly, the children of clans or of shinobi parents.

Sasuke knew of quite a few clan heirs in Block A; Hyuuga Hinata, of the Main Branch of the Hyuuga clan, was a shy girl with pale lavender eyes and indigo hair. Inuzuka Kiba, of the Inuzuka clan, had slit-pupiled eyes and messy brown hair, with twin red fangs on his cheeks. He was never seen without his _ninken, _Akamaru. Aburame Shino, of the Aburame clan, always wore sunglasses and a trench coat, with unruly black hair. Yamanaka Ino, of the Yamanaka clan, was one of Sasuke's more vocal fangirls and had long platinum blonde hair and pupilless teal eyes. Akamichi Chouji, of the Akamichi clan, was a plump boy with red swirls beneath his chestnut eyes and matching brownish-red hair. Nara Shikamaru, of the Nara clan, was famed for his laziness and wore his long black hair in a spiky ponytail atop his head. And, last but not least, there was him.

Uchiha Sasuke, the lone survivor of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, was by far the most well known of the clan heirs. As soon as he turned fifteen or reached the second level of ninjahood, known as Chuunin level, he would take over his late father's place as the Head of the Uchiha Clan. Even though both of those requirements were a long while away, Sasuke was still treated with extreme respect; as the remaining member of one of Konoha's three Noble Clans (Uchiha, Hyuuga, and Senju), no one wanted to be on his bad side once he stepped up to his position. After all, Uchiha were famed for their seeming inability to forget anything.

The remainder of the class was comprised of either clanless shinobi or civilians. However, there was only one completely civilian student in their class; Haruno Sakura. The rest had dropped out sometime during the first and/or second year.

Sakura was…interesting, to say the least. The ends of her long, pastel pink hair brushed the middle of her back, with chin-length bangs kept out of green-topaz eyes. She wore a cheongsam-style dress, with slits up either side to increase mobility. The sleeves barely covered her shoulders, and the cowl-neck of the garment was slightly stiff, holding itself at her throat. White hoops decorated the sleeves, back, and front flap of the dress, the symbol of the civilian Haruno clan. She wore dark green spandex shorts underneath the dress to preserve some semblance of modesty, with the common blue _zori _sandals leaving her toes exposed. Unlike many of the girls, Sakura had chosen to coat her nails in a clear, protective polish. Her garish hair was already too visible for most ninja; it wouldn't do to add more noticeability to herself. Sasuke approved of this train of thought; it showed that she actually had a brain in her head, unlike most of the girls around him. Presently, though, his attention was drawn by another obnoxious ninja wannabe.

Uzumaki Naruto, known as the Fox Prankster of the Leaf, was the only other orphan in their class, having been abandoned at birth during the attack of the Kyuubi spirit. His wild, brilliant blonde hair was held away from cat's-eye-apatite eyes by a pair of green-and-gray goggles, and he outfitted himself in a horrendously orange jumpsuit that could be seen from across the village, with a white, chin-height collar and navy shoulders. The pants were capri-length. He, too, wore the standard _zori _sandals.

Naruto burst into the room, screaming loudly about how he would bring Sasuke-teme down and make Sakura-chan love him. The two in question looked at one another, kindred spirits (Sakura being a victim of bullying and Sasuke a victim of fangirling) and shared a sigh.

It was going to be a _long _day.

**気**

By the time the Academy teacher, Umino Iruka, walked in at 8, the entire class was in the room. The five fangirls (there were seven girls in the class, but Sakura focused on training and Hinata on stalking Naruto) were busy fawning over Sasuke, who wanted no part of their attention and was reading from a thick red-backed scroll with gold trim; the elder Chuunin guessed it was some form of jutsu scroll, but he couldn't tell without looking over the boy's shoulder (which, needless to say, would _not _go over well, considering how much Sasuke valued his personal space). He trotted calmly down the aisle between the right and center rows of desks, coming to a stop behind his own and slamming his palm to the wood. The resulting boom shocked the students into silence, and as they curiously looked towards the front of the room, they noticed him and sat down. Iruka laughed silently to himself; the five aforementioned fangirls seemed to be fighting over who would get to sit to the right of Sasuke (who'd cleverly situated himself in a corner for minimum fangirl exposure), while the teen ignored them and proceeded to reroll his scroll. Finally, Sakura sighed and slid into the seat, sending them a glare when they shrieked in indignation.

From his perch, Iruka watched him give her a relieved glance (well, as relieved as a stuck-up, emotionless, teenage ninja can be) and a silent fist-bump beneath the table.

_Ma, ma…kids will be kids, but I have a class to teach._

"Oi~! As you all know, the Academy Graduation Exam is today! You will be tested on your proficiency in the three E-ranked jutsu you've learned while here; Kawairimi, Henge, and Bunshin. Once you've taken your exam, you're free to leave. If you finish before 10, however, you'll wait in here and do whatever you want. After that you are permitted to leave. Now, we'll start with the upper left corner. Uchiha Sasuke!"

Iruka stepped back from his desk, skirting the corner as Sasuke stood gracefully, walking calmly down the walkway.

The twenty-two-year-old opened the old, worn oak door to the hallway, escorting the teen into another room where a white-haired man sat, accompanied by twenty-one new Konoha headbands. The cloth bandanas were a deep navy blue, meant to be tied around the forehead. Riveted in the center, shining silver plates etched with the spiraling, stylized leaf that symbolized the village.

Sasuke's chest tightened as he remembered how much his brother's _hitai-ate _had meant to him…before, of course, _it _occurred.

Then the silver-haired man was introducing himself (his name was Mizuki) and asking Sasuke to perform the Henge no Jutsu.

**気**

Sasuke looked into himself, feeling for the core of power he'd always been able to access. Passing countless mental walls and blocks, he finally encountered the spiraling coils of chakra locked away within. He grasped the energy and clasped his hands in the sign of the ram, the focus seal. Within his mindscape, Sasuke cloaked himself in a thin layer of azure light, watching as thin tendrils escaped from his clenched hands only to be sucked back into the matrix of energy.

On the outside, however, blue streaks of chakra surrounded him as he unconsciously bent his knees, every muscle tensing as he brought forth his very life force. Iruka and Mizuki watched in awe; the amount of energy being released was enough to contest with a low-level ANBU, or at the very least a high-leveled Jounin. And the boy was only thirteen!

The floor creaked in protest as the pressure pushed said boy into the ground, spectral cerulean flames lapping at his ankles.

Back in the mindscape, Sasuke released the energy, a single image of Itachi's smile appearing before him, then vanishing.

"HENGE NO JUTSU~!"

In a poof of smoke, a perfect replica of the former Uchiha Clan heir stood before them, hands still folded, in the place of Sasuke. Mizuki looked at Iruka, who nodded once, then back at the Henge-d boy, who released the jutsu and became himself once more in another puff.

"You pass. Welcome to Konoha's Shinobi Roster, Genin Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded, his eyes meeting Iruka's as they communicated in a way only orphans who can still recall their parents can. The brunette could feel a slight moisture gathering at the corners of his eyes as he looked away, and Sasuke gently lifted a headband from the table.

He tilted it, and his reflection in the plate disappeared as the metal flashed in the light. Bending his head slightly, Sasuke tied the bandana on, making sure his bangs weren't caught beneath the cloth. Then, he straightened and walked from the room without a backward glance.

Somehow, Iruka suspected that the gesture meant more to the now-Genin than he would ever let on.

**気**

Heads shot up from their relaxed positions, tucked against chests or leaning on hands, as the door slid open. Sasuke's footsteps seemed oddly loud in the ensuing silence, tapping against the wood-and-tatami floor in a rhythmic pattern.

_Right, left, right, left…_

Sasuke could feel twenty sets of eyes on him, following the movement of his feet as he walked back to his place and re-opened the scroll he'd been absorbing, resting his cheek I his left palm as he did so. Iruka called the next contestant, and Sasuke lost himself once more in the elegantly inked characters running the length of the page. It was in his mother's script—elegant, flowing, calm, like the wind in the trees and the flight of a morning dove.

'Vampirism is a disease passed on by certain carriers. A first-generation vampire is infected by the virus, known as the Kyuketsuki (bloodsucker), through ingestion or infusion through open wounds. The afflicted ninja becomes what is known as a mononoke (vengeful ghost), or a vampire without the ability to transform back into a human, whose only goal is to infect as many people as possible. Mononoke usually have a life span of two weeks after they are first infected, after which most die of complications. They have no recollection of their former lives, and the intelligence levels of a goldfish. Those whom the mononoke infects become second-generation vampires, with the ability to transform back and forth between their forms. Their intelligence is heightened, and they are considered to be the most powerful type of vampire. Third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation vampires decrease in strength, and the fifth-generation of vampire can no longer pass on the disease.

The virus has a two-hour incubation period, as well as a 75% chance of being passed on.

Only shinobi with chakra can be afflicted; the disease targets the tenketsu, or points where chakra is exuded from the body (which are undeveloped on those without use of the energy), and widens them exponentially, as well as increasing chakra levels to the point where the amount of energy is so massive that it is nigh impossible to control…'

He could remember the long nights she'd spent, researching his condition, trying to find a cure, or, at the very least, a way to seal away the virus. Uchiha Mikoto was nothing if not tenacious. She had been determined to remedy him, and in her studies she'd amassed quite the amount of information.

Information that Sasuke was using to further his knowledge of himself.

He was so absorbed in his studying that he almost didn't notice Sakura slide back into her seat and rest her head on the desk. In fact, the only reason he knew of her return was the vibration of the desktop under his palm when she let the side of her head gently fall to the cool, clean wood. The pinkette sighed, an expression of complete exhaustion.

"Mou, Sasuke, how was your exam?"

"Hn."

"…What jutsu did they test you on? I got the Bunshin no Jutsu again, 'cuz I'm more of a genjutsu type than anything."

"…"

"Kami, you're so quiet! How do you stand it?!"

"…Hn."

"UGH!"

Sasuke wasn't really listening to her as she flopped back in her chair. He was too busy trying to imprint the knowledge in the scroll into his mind. He was no genius, but Sasuke was well-known as a prodigy among his classmates—the lowest grade he'd received was around a 95%. He was a kinesthetic learner—he absorbed the most information by doing, working at something over and over until he'd committed it to memory.

Suffice to say, books didn't cut it. He'd have to transform in order to actually ascertain just how his condition worked.

The problem was transforming without losing any and all control.

Sometime later (though it only felt like seconds), the Uchiha was wrenched from his futile attempts to study by Iruka's shout of, "You're excused!" and the shuffling of chairs and feet on the floor. He sighed as he rolled the scroll closed. Maybe he'd have better luck at home.

**気**

_Son of Kami-sama. Am I allowed to die yet?_

Sasuke thought, groaning as he poured over the length of sturdy paper in his lap. Mikoto's writing had not undergone a sudden lack of ambiguity in the short, ten-minute walk from the Academy to his apartment, and his mother's words continued to confuse him. The jargon-filled explanations had given way to lists of traits that seemed to apply to all vampires, both when transformed and when normal.

'Physical Appearance and Traits (Non-transformed):

Pale skin

Lithe build; built for speed and agility rather than brute strength

Long, thin fingers

Delicate bone structure

Extremely attractive

Cat-like grace

Good balance; always land on feet

Longer-than-average nails

Skin is always cold

Physical Appearance and Traits (Transformed):

Pale skin; shimmers

Crimson eyes with black sclera (Sharingan users' eyes have the Sharingan with a four-point shuriken around the pupil when the doujutsu is active)

Hair lengthens and spikes out; becomes wilder

Movements become more elegant; no energy is wasted

Nails sharpen into claws

Heart stops beating

Fangs grow from teeth directly to the right and left of the upper front teeth

Muscles become denser; allow for greater resistance to attacks and more power

Personality and Mental Traits (Non-transformed):

Secretive

Cold

Mysterious

Likes silence

Socially awkward; cannot hold a conversation well

Extremely intelligent; almost all vampiric shinobi are considered geniuses or prodigies

Personality and Mental Traits (Transformed):

Extremely possessive

Quick to anger

Impaired logical thinking (only applies to chimayo transformations)

Heightened bloodlust

More volatile emotions; heightened desire and rage

Intense presence of being; loss of chakra control leads to extreme Killing Intent (only applies to chimayo transformations)

Become incapable of coherent speech; only communicate through bestial roars and snarls (only applies to chimayo transformations)

Strengths (Non-transformed):

Can blend in with shadows

Functions better in darkness

Fighting in the moonlight

Fighting 'blind' (without use of eyes)

Enhanced night vision

Faster than average shinobi

Resistance to cold temperatures

Resistance to most poisons/potions

Resistance to illness

Enhanced hearing (10% better than average without chakra enhancement; range of up to 1000 meters)

Enhanced sight (10% better than average; 20% better than average three-tomoe form with use of Sharingan; range of up to 100 meters; 270 degrees of vision)

Enhanced sense of smell (15% better than average Inuzuka clan member without chakra enhancement; range of up to 500 meters)

Moonlight

Weaknesses (Non-transformed):

Sunlight; chakra decreases in potency by 2%, meaning more chakra is required for various jutsu, lessening the amount of jutsu a vampiric shinobi can use

Fire (does not apply to fire-type shinobi, while lightning-type are more resistant to flames than average vampires)

Loud noises

Sudden, bright flashes of light (eyes are extremely photosensitive)

Strong, pungent odors

Blind spot

Strengths (Transformed):

Blood; the scent of blood drives a vampiric shinobi into a state known as 'blood madness' or 'blood fury' (only applies to chimayo transformations)

Resistance to taijutsu-style attacks

Increased muscle density

Immunity to most poisons/potions

Immunity to disease

Moonlight heals wounds

Weaknesses (Transformed):

Silver; it has a dampening effect on vampiric chakra

Wood

Running water; the purity of running water is said to 'cleanse' a vampire and forces them out of their transformation

Supernatural Powers:

Telepathy vampires can read conscious thoughts when they wish to and sense strong emotions

Psychic connections; vampiric shinobi who develop strong bonds with others (i.e. lovers, teammates, and siblings) can sense the other's mood and/or if he/she is in danger. Connections strengthen over time and usage.

Unnatural healing; vampiric shinobi heal faster in the moonlight

Enhanced senses…'

Sasuke couldn't help it. He was completely, totally, utterly bamboozled. None of his mother's extensive research made sense to him. He supposed, however, that when he transformed he'd be able to understand…

Right?

**気**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N: And so concludes the first chapter of N:BMS! Now, to answer some questions before they appear;**

**-No, I do not read ****_Twilight. _****In fact, the idea spawned from excessive watching of ****_Naruto _****and excessive reading of ****_The Mortal Instruments. _****I don't know why people assume that just because someone writes about vampires they ****_must _****read ****_Twilight. _****Honestly!**

**-Naruto and Sakura will be developed further in the next chapter, since Sasuke doesn't really know them yet. Sasuke pretty much sees Sakura as an annoyance (though less so than his fangirls), but appreciates the fact that she isn't like the rest of the girls. Naruto, on the other hand, is the idiot dead-last of the Academy to him. Don't worry; he'll learn to like 'em!**

**-More on Sasuke's vampiric abilities will show up later, spread out throughout the story. Soooo…yeah.**

**Sasuke: *pokes his head around the corner* Whatcha doin'?**

**KBA: *is watching ****_Naruto _****and crying* NO~! SASUKE, WHY U NO-!**

**Itachi: *slaps hand over KBA's mouth* No spoilers! :D**

**Sasuke:…lolwut?**

**Itachi: You don't wanna know.**

**KBA: *still sniffling; Itachi hands her a tissue* Alright, well, since you're here, YOU do the next chapter's intro, Sasu-chan!**

**Sasuke: Don't call me that… -_-**

**Itachi: Just. Do. It.**

**Sasuke: Fi~ne. *in the Pokémon announcer's voice* Our young hero meets his newest rival, and why is sensei so late? Join us next time for: Power of Three! Kakashi's Infamous Bell Test!**

**This chapter's page break is ****_ki, _****or ****_mind._**


	3. Nii

**Chapter 2**

Power of Three! Kakashi's Infamous Bell Test!

**全**

The morning of September 16th, much like that of the previous day, dawned in a blaze of flame. It also found Sasuke, wrapping the long, silk bandages around his calves. Buckling said bandages into place with the leather bindings just beneath his knees, Sasuke quickly slid his _zori_ on over the bottoms of the wound cloth strips, holding them in place as he fastened the series of straps that held the durable ninja sandals on. Pushing himself from his position, Sasuke looked to the right, examining his reflection in the floor-length mirror that, for some reason, came with the apartment.

Maybe the previous owner was a model?

He shuddered at the very thought. Then looked at the clock. And screamed (as much as a stoic Uchiha can scream).

He had ten minutes to reach the Academy for their team assignments. And it took ten minutes to get there _on a good day._

After quickly tying on his headband, Sasuke threw open the door, locking the traps into place with a deft flare of his chakra (fangirls had a _very _nasty habit of breaking in to steal his clothes, claiming they 'liked his scent'), and pushed more of the energy into the soles of his feet. The surge powered the immense leap from the ground and to the nearest terra-cotta rooftop. The reddish tiles clattered beneath his sandals as he leapt again, soaring over the streets at a fast clip, covering between twenty and thirty feet per jump. Cool gray concrete, rusty red clay, thin black wire, all seemed to fade away beneath Sasuke's toes as he pushed himself to fly even faster, bouncing off of awnings, walls, and roofing, swinging on wires, and twirling around poles.

He didn't think, couldn't think, _wouldn't think _as his body moved in perfect harmony with itself. As if he was made for the sky, meant never to touch the ground. He was aware of the stares his displays attracted from the civilians, so easily awed in their world of mundane peace and conformity. To them, Sasuke was a diving hawk, fast, sleek, born between sky and ground and raised with the wind and rain itself. He was a beautiful dancer, leaping and twisting to a beat only he could hear.

And then he was gone.

**全**

A slightly-panting Sasuke let a grin past his impassive façade as the air whipped his bangs away from his angular face, enjoying the feeling of wind streaking through his spiky hair. He arrived at the Academy in record time (seven minutes wasn't too bad, considering how he'd been forced to travel) and took a moment to compose himself (read: make sure his face wasn't flushed, he wasn't panting, and that he did NOT look as if he'd run all the way from home) before sliding through the doorway and into a seat in the center row of the classroom, about three desks from the front.

Almost immediately, Sasuke received a face-full of glaring Naruto. The blonde squatted on the desk, cerulean eyes almost completely closing as he narrowed them at the raven. Sasuke rolled his eyes inwardly, choosing to level the infamous Uchiha stare, which had been known to make seasoned Jounin cry. Onyx clashed with azure, and bolts of white-hot lightning seemed to burst from the boys' eyes as they stared each other down.

Then, some random ninja-wannabe (we'll call him Taki for the purposes of the story, since he will never appear again) decided to have a little fun. Taki elbowed Naruto in the back, pitching the blonde forward and into Sasuke. What none of them counted on was the extremely bad luck centered around the two (a black cat had crossed Naruto's path on his way to the last day of school, and Sasuke broke his mirror after accidently losing control of his chakra and loosing a huge blast towards the innocent bathroom fixture), and so, instead of just plowing into the black-haired boy, Naruto ended up pinning him to the desk behind them, mouths joined in a completely accidental kiss.

The screams of five fangirls would echo throughout Konoha forevermore.

Sasuke reacted first, shaking off the shock and disgust to shove Naruto away from his, rolling to the side and spitting violently, the other boy mirroring him. Meanwhile, the five aforementioned fangirls lay on the ground, having fainted from the short moment of yaoi that had been so cruelly shoveled down their throats. Sakura walked in and sat down, wondering what she'd missed.

Then, Iruka took the teacher's podium, and in a massive wave of scrambling thirteen-year-olds, peace and order was restored. Except for four of the five fangirls, but no one cares about them. The platinum-blonde Ino awoke and scampered to her seat, leaving her comrades to face the scarred teacher's wrath later. Soon, everyone that mattered was seated.

Sasuke only had time to notice Sakura to his right and Naruto to his left before Iruka began his final speech to them as their Academy sensei.

**全**

"Now, students, listen to me; all twenty-one of you have passed your Academy Graduation Exam, which makes you official ninja in the eyes of the village. However, there is one more trial you must face before you can take shinobi missions and rise further in rank. You will be split into teams of three, each under a Jounin sensei. Your teams have been selected based on strengths and weaknesses, and so you will have no say as to your teammates. Each Jounin sensei is required to test their team in their own, unique way. If you pass, you are allowed to become a true ninja. If you don't…I'll see you in my class for another year. Now, Team One, under Matsuuda Toushiro, is…"

**全**

"Team Seven, under Hatake Kakashi, is Uchiha Sasuke…"

Sasuke instantly began listening again as he heard his name. He leaned forward, lacing his thin fingers in front of his face so that Iruka could only see the upper half, resting his elbows on the desk.

"Haruno Sakura…"

His eyes flicked to the right, where the pinkette gave a small smile and flip of her fingers. Green eyes glittered with hypnotic light, and Sasuke found himself left with a sense of curiosity. He wanted to know why she wasn't attracted to him, and just what combination of genetics had left her with bubblegum hair and springtime eyes.

"…and Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke almost face-faulted. Key word: _almost_. Naruto seemed torn between the fact that he was on Sasuke's team and the fact that he was on Sakura's team. He eventually decided to go with the former, groaning and letting his head fall into his hands as he moaned about how unfair life was. And so their fate was sealed.

**全**

"Where is he, dattebayo? Does he even know we're HERE?!"

Naruto was pacing in circles, as he had been for the past three hours. Sakura sighed, and looked over. She smiled slightly (shinobi rule number 25 decreed that ninja were never to show emotion, but no one paid attention to that one anyway) at their other new teammate. Sasuke dozed lightly, head bowed, hands still lacing in front of himself. She knew because she could sense his chakra's calm, rhythmic movements, and hear the slow, relaxed breathing.

"That's it, 'ttebayo!"

She looked over to find the Leaf's prankster setting up a simple rig; a chalk-dust-loaded eraser perched precariously over the slightly-open door. Sakura shook her head, long pink locks swirling like tongues of flame around her.

"He's a Jounin, Naruto. He'll never fall for that."

As if on cue, the door opened and a silver-haired head popped in, only to be thwacked with the eraser. The dust sent up a white cloud that settled on their new sensei's navy face-mask, which covered the bottom half of said face. In fact, they could only see his charcoal gray right eye, the other being obscured by his tilted forehead protector. A gravity-defying mane of hoarfrost hair topped his head, spiking up in an angular fashion. He wore standard sweatpants, bandages, _zori, _and a three-quarter sleeved shirt that connected to the mask. His olive-green Jounin flak jacket was zipped up the front, and he wore his weapons pouch in easy reach at his hip.

Sasuke chose that moment to wake up, raising his head as if he'd never even thought of sleeping. The man spoke in a lazy drawl, dragging out some of his words as his singular eye scanned the room.

"My first impression of you three…is that I hate you all. Meet me on the roof in five minutes; don't be late. I don't like to be kept waiting."

The man disappeared in a poof of smoke, to Naruto's exclamations.

"He doesn't like to be kept waiting? HE DOESN'T LIKE TO BE KEPT WAITING?!"

**全**

Exactly five minutes later found the silver-haired man lounging on the rusted railing before them, silhouetted against Konoha's skyline. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura sat on the concrete steps before him, making themselves comfortable. Then, he spoke again in the drawling tones they'd heard in the classroom.

"Now…how about we introduce ourselves?"

"Ne, ne, sensei, what do you want us to say?"

"Hm…likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future…I'll go first."

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes and dislikes…are nothing for you to be concerned with. My hobbies…I don't feel like telling you about. Dreams for the future…I have none. Now, blondie, your turn."

Sasuke sweatdropped.

_All we found out was his name! Seriously, why is this guy teaching children?_

Naruto and Sakura seemed to follow his line of thought, since the whiskered boy spoke with slight hesitation while fiddling with the plate on his headband.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo! I like ramen, Sakura-chan, ramen, pranking, Ichiraku ramen, orange, and ramen! I dislike the amount of time it takes for ramen to cook and Sasuke-teme! My hobbies are eating ramen and pranking people! My dream is to become the greatest Hokage, DATTEBAYO~!

Apparently it was impossible for Naruto to lower his voice. Sasuke nearly had his sensitive eardrums blasted out by the force of the shout.

_Son of Kami, he'd be a natural at the Fireball Jutsu with those lungs._

It was Sakura's turn next. She was calmer than Naruto had been, but her voice bellied the excitement running through her.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I like reading, studying, the spring, and learning new jutsu. I dislike people who judge others based on appearance. My hobbies are training, reading, and interning at the hospital. My dream is to prove that kunoichi are just as powerful as shinobi!"

Sasuke looked up, only his eyes visible behind his hands and low-hanging bangs that cast deep shadows over his face. In the coldest, most indifferent tone he could muster (he didn't want anyone thinking he was weak), he spoke. The words sounded like they'd been wrapped in pitch-black velvet and soaked in honeyed wine.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I have no likes, and many dislikes. I don't have a dream, but an ambition: to restore my clan to its glory and kill a certain _someone."_

Judging by how Naruto swallowed nervously, he probably thought that he was the one who Sasuke wanted to kill. Even Kakashi looked slightly put off by the grim statement, though he hid it well. Sasuke smirked slightly behind his hands, releasing a small spike of Killing Intent to drive his point home.

_I have a goal to meet, and none of you are going to hold me back._

**全**

Kakashi sighed to himself as he walked home, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the small orange book before him. He flipped a page every few steps, but he wasn't really reading. He was thinking.

_So…this time I get the overconfident, reckless idiot, the antithesis of inconspicuous, and the half-crazed avenger? Real nice, Hokage-sama, REAL NICE._

The Hatake was infamous for being assigned team after team, and failing them all after the first day. This squad, Team Seven, was his sixth in as many years. After retiring from the ANBU on the grounds that he couldn't work efficiently as an emotionless tool, Kakashi had been attempting to attain a Genin team of his own. However, not one of the eighteen he'd tested had met his standards, and had been dropped permanently from the shinobi program.

But after seeing this latest batch, Kakashi couldn't help but remember…they reminded him of his own three-man-squad. And he found himself sincerely hoping, as he strode down the long, dirt-paved road, that they would be the first to pass his test.

Because they brought back memories of the days when he'd been truly happy.

**全**

"We meet at Training Ground 07 at seven in the morning…Training Ground 07…_Training Ground 07…"_

The last Uchiha puzzled over a huge, wall-sized map of Konoha and its surrounding forests as he attempted to figure out just _where the hell he had to be _for Kakashi's exam. A sharp pain in his chest, however, interrupted his train of thought, centered just over his heart.

Black eyes widened, and Sasuke jumped lightly off of the couch, trying to quell the sudden surges of chakra beating in time with his heart. Hissing softly in quiet agony, Sasuke snatched the glass liter bottle from his fridge, shoving it violently into the microwave oven and setting the timer with a practiced hand. With his other hand, the black-haired teen opened the cupboard to grasp a wineglass just as the timer beeped and the microwave shut down.

Sasuke popped the cork on the bottle, releasing the scent that, over the years, he'd come to relish. Pouring some of the viscous red liquid into the fluted glass, Sasuke took a long draft, letting the sweet-and-salty flavor wash over his tongue. With that, he strode back into his living room, glass in one hand and bottle in the other. He settled himself on the couch again, daintily lifting the wineglass to his lips once more as he went back to studying the map.

The blood seemed to gleam in the light, coating the sides of the glass as Sasuke swirled it to prevent the separation of plasma from red blood cells.

Vampiric urges quelled for the moment, he could relax. Though it would be a challenge to get blood on missions. He'd have to talk to the Hokage about it, but the conversation would need to wait. The warm, fresh blood was making him drowsy, and without another word, Sasuke dropped the now-empty glass on the couch and laid back against the cushions, falling into a deep sleep.

He didn't notice the mismatched pair of eyes watching him, nor the flare of a familiar chakra as the figure at his window turned away and leapt off into the moonless night.

**全**

The morning of September 17th dawned just like its predecessors; allowing the Land of Fire to live up to its name by setting the countryside aflame. Sasuke cracked his neck as he sat up, the vertebrae sliding into place with muted pops like the sound of a soda can's pop-top. He caught sight of the glass bottle, filled with cerise solution, and frowned. He'd fallen asleep and forgotten to put the thing back in the refrigerator. Hopefully the blood inside hadn't spoiled.

_Thank Kami I had to feed before Kakashi's test…my reflexes are always better just after I've eaten._

It was true; Sasuke had noticed, over the years, that he was faster, stronger, and smarter after drinking his weekly dose of blood. It stimulated his vampiric side, forcing some of the attributes he was familiar with from Transformation onto his human persona. The effect was rather startling; for up to a day after he fed, Sasuke saw the world in prismatic, jewel-toned colors. Every detail was enhanced until it was so blatantly obvious that he wondered why no one else seemed to see it. His muscles seemed to function better, his heart pumping more efficiently, his every breath like a cyclone whirling in his ears. But would it help him against a seasoned Jounin?

He mulled over the thought as he tugged his wide-collared T-shirt over his head, pausing slightly to examine the insides of his forearms before his arm-warmers covered them.

The black ink stood out startlingly against pale skin, each and every swirling line of the runes bold and deliberate. Runes for silence, strength, speed, accuracy, dexterity, all forming tattooed gauntlets that swirled up from his wrists to his elbows in ripples of onyx ribbon, twisting around his very bones.

Sasuke shook his bangs out of his eyes, briefly considering buying a headband or hairclip to keep them from obscuring his vision. He then imagined himself wearing a set of _oh-so-pretty _pink barrettes and banished the idea.

Uchiha men didn't wear barrettes. They dealt with their bangs the manly way—by brushing them away in a bad-boy fashion, looking epic (not to mention _fa-bu-lous!_) all the while.

And with that thought in mind, Sasuke strapped on his weapons pouch, set the traps outside his front door, windows, and vents (the fangirls were _really _desperate), and made his way to Training Ground 007.

**全**

By analyzing the position of the sun over the horizon and calculating the angle of the three stumps' shadows, Sasuke was able to determine that he didn't know what the _hell _he was doing. All he knew was that he'd left his east-side apartment at around 6:45, and it took ten minutes to roof-hop to where he stood now.

The area in question was beautiful. A clearing of soft grass, trodden on so many times it had become a flat green carpet. Tall oaks and cherries ringed the area, their leaves beginning to brown around the edges. A large, sparkling, sapphire lake lay to his right, the rippling patterns shining silver in the new sunlight. Three stumps, each the height of his midsection, stood equidistantly spaced, about a yard apart, facing the center of the clearing, which was covered in fine sand.

In all, it was somewhere Sasuke wouldn't mind meditating. The rustle of the wind in the drying leaves, the quiet lapping of tiny waves at the lake's sandy shore, the grass whispering around his ankles…

Kakashi didn't seem to be showing up anytime soon, and he was alone. Positioning himself between the lake and stumps, Sasuke crossed his legs into the lotus position and closed his eyes, gently letting go of his consciousness, listening to the water and leaves and wind. He could hear the shrill cries of messenger hawks Konoha was famous for using, echoing throughout the wide-open skies and vibrating in his chest. Every one of his heartbeats was a gong strike, slowing and syncing with the rhythm of the waves. The wind gently stroked his hair, blowing it softly away from his face, the uneven ends of his bangs tickling his chin ever-so-slightly. And he listened.

**全**

Sakura tiptoed quietly through the underbrush, feet not making a sound as they dodged crinkling leaves and fallen twigs in a bid for silence. Peering around a tree, she could make out the silhouette of a certain, duck-butt-haired ninja, sitting stock-still in the center of the clearing they were supposed to meet in.

He looked almost otherworldly when he straightened; back still turned to her, clothes wavering slightly in the breeze, hair fluttering about his face. The Uchiha fan, red over white, stood out proudly along his spine. Sakura fought down and conquered the faint blush rising to her cheeks; Sasuke was her teammate, for Kami's sake, she couldn't look at him like that!

It would make her no better than the girls she disgusted, who cared for nothing but clothes and makeup. They would never know the true joy of being a kunoichi; the joy that comes with every bull's-eye shot of a kunai, with every successful jutsu, every flicker and flare of chakra. It was what she lived for, what she loved more than anything.

She wasn't about to let some male teammate ruin it for her. Even if he was attractive.

**全**

_Good. She doesn't seem to be having an aneurism due to my incredible level of extreme attractiveness. She may actually have a use!_

Sasuke cheered in his mind, sensing Sakura behind him. He turned around, blinking; she was leaning against the thick middle stump, dressed the same as she had been the day before. Belatedly, Sasuke wondered if she just wore the same dress day after day, or if she had a wardrobe full of the same outfits. He himself had five 'uniforms' to wear. She probably had the same, if not more; Sakura was still a girl, no matter how much training she did. The smooth voice of said girl interrupted his train of thought.

"Oi, Sasuke…I was doing some research on Kakashi, since we're gonna be fighting him. And…well, I'm getting a little nervous. All three of us will have to work together to even have a chance of taking him down."

"Hn?"

Correctly deciphering his grunt, Sakura elaborated.

"Hatake Kakashi, also known as _Kopi Nin no Kakashi, _is famous for copying over a thousand jutsu with his left eye. He fought in the Third Great Ninja War as a Genin, and became a Jounin sensei six years ago. Since then, he's tested five teams; not one has passed."

_Son of Kami. If none of his previous teams passed…he must go all-out on us. And they probably worked separately._

"So, basically, what I'm trying to say is…"

"If we want to become ninja, we'll have to set aside our differences and work as a cohesive whole."

"I don't forsee a problem between me and you. I mean, I respect you as a ninja, and I'm fairly sure you respect me. The only real kink in the machinery is…"

"Naruto."

**全**

"Nandattebayo~?! I have to work with that…that…_stuck-up prodigy?!"_

"Believe me, dead-last, I'm not too thrilled either."

"Naruto, Sasuke, please, let's just get along for the time being. You two can go back to hating one another after the test, alright?"

"…Fine. But only for you, Sakura-chan!"

"…Aa."

Sakura sighed. Honestly, the two teens could be just like toddlers when they wanted to be!

"Alright. If we're to do this, we need to know one another's strengths. Naruto, you go first…"

**全**

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask as he observed the trio, whispering to one another. He caught snatches of their conversation; apparently, in his tardiness, they'd decided to form a plan based on Sakura's research through the old Bingo Books. Without knowing it, they'd passed his test.

Now all he had to do was get a sense of their ability.

**全**

"Yo!"

In a poof of smoke, Kakashi appeared, eye crinkling in a grin. He saluted them with two fingers of his right hand, then let said hand fall back to his side. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto sprang apart, the last vestiges of their conversation mere whispers in the wind. He noticed Sasuke's eyes darting from side to side, as if he was hiding something. Considering the fact that he was over three hours later than he said he'd be and Naruto had arrived only thirty minutes late, Kakashi supposed that the kids really were keeping secrets.

"Yosh. Let's begin your test, ne? In my hand, I have two bells."

Kakashi let the twin silver bells fall, their jingles echoing throughout the clearing as the thin red threads holding them snapped straight.

"Your objective is to get the bells. Whoever gets a bell passes. The one who doesn't goes back to the Academy. You have until noon. Got it?"

Showtime.

**全**

Sasuke met Sakura's gaze and nodded once. They'd guessed that Kakashi's test would have some sort of twist to it. This was the twist. They knew his game, and they'd told Naruto about it as well. Kakashi tied the bells onto his waistband, just in front of his weapons pouch. Closing his eyes, the Uchiha ran through their plan once more, as Kakashi brought down his hand and yelled,

"HAJIME!"

Naruto screamed a battle cry, crossing the index and middle fingers of each hand in front of him.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

In a flurry of white clouds, hundreds of clones appeared, coating the landscape in a carpet of orange, navy, and bright yellow. Yelling various phrases, the clones launched their suicidal attacks. Kakashi smirked.

"Oh, joy. I'm surrounded by idiots."

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, OLD MAN!"

"Make me."

"RRRAAAAAAAH~!"

The silver-haired man whirled through the crowd, gloved hands snapping out, feet tracing vaguely circular patterns in the dirt. One by one, the clones dissipated as fatal blows to the throat, chest, and spine were sustained. From his perch high in the trees, Sasuke smirked. Just as planned.

The last Naruto grappled with Kakashi, jumping onto his back and holding on with all the strength in his body. Sasuke somersaulted from the trees, withdrawing two huge, folded shuriken that snapped open as he twisted in the air, flipping so that he was almost standing in midair, then using the energy from his core to hurl the immense four-point blades at his sensei. The twin stars swirled through the air, whirring discs of metal that would cause serious damage when their arcing paths led them past each other. Their point of intersection just so happened to be Kakashi's chest.

_Come on. Come on. Come on. I just need one hit. Just a scratch. Come on._

The moment of truth—Kakashi leapt backward to avoid the shuriken, which spun back into Sasuke's waiting hands, their momentum folding them once more as the teen touched down on the earth before the Jounin. Sasuke looked up and smirked.

A small trickle of blood dripped from a shallow scratch on the man's chest. Sasuke could smell its scent, sweet with a tang of almost floral odor that set pure Konohan blood apart from the rest. The teen was thankful he'd drank almost a full liter yesterday; otherwise, the enticing smell would've sent him into uncontrollable, unexplainable blood madness.

The scratch was barely there, and wouldn't even slow the more experienced ninja down, but it was enough for their purposes. Sasuke back-flipped across the clearing and into the trees, avoiding volley after volley of kunai and shuriken, all thrown with deadly speed and precision. Hissing in pain as one of the diamond-bladed knives nicked the outer edge of his right ear, Sasuke jumped back onto his branch.

_Your move, Sakura._

The pinkette in question padded quietly behind Kakashi, a kusarigama held in her hands. The sickle end stayed steady in her right, a long chain connecting it to the weighted piece swinging about her left. Sasuke saw her grin, saw the mild paralytic poison he'd soaked his shuriken with take effect, saw Kakashi freeze, saw the weighted chain swirl expertly about him and tie down his arms and legs. The man fell to the earth, bound in the long chain, just as the timer rang.

He smirked as Naruto let out a whoop and jumped down. They'd done it. They'd bested a Jounin. Delirious with triumph, the two joined their female companion, who was busy tightening the bindings. She tugged at them, and with a sudden jerk, they passed completely through the Jounin's body.

They barely had time to comprehend, let alone react, to what happened next.

The captured clone burst into a cloud of white smoke as the real Kakashi grabbed Sasuke's hair, pulling him to the ground so that he rested on his stomach with the crouching ninja hovering over the small of his back. A kunai, sharp and deadly, rested against the raven's throat.

Sasuke could feel the blade move as he breathed. Sakura and Naruto were frozen, wide gem-like eyes staring at the scene before them.

"You three fail. You were supposed to get the bells, but instead fooled about until the last possible moment. You let your chance slip."

The two who could hung their heads in shame. Sasuke tried, but almost impaled himself on the knife for his trouble. Kakashi hummed slightly.

"Well…I supposed I could give you three another chance after lunch…but this one doesn't eat."

He pulled at Sasuke to emphasize his point.

"Why?"

"He used poisoned shuriken. Genin are not permitted to own poison, as they are too irresponsible."

"But—"

"You're lucky I won't tell the Hokage about it…this time. So, as punishment, Uchiha doesn't get food. If either of you two feeds him, I'll have all three of you dropped from the shinobi roster. Got it?"

"…Hai, Kakashi-sensei."

"Good."

In a flash of silver, Sasuke was tied to the center stump with a length of thick, strong rope. Bristling at the sheer unfairness of it all, he could only watch as his two teammates were given their bento and Kakashi disappeared in still more smoke.

Sasuke was the first to speak, struggling against the ropes around his wrists to try and form the hand seals needed for Kanishibari no Jutsu.

"Hn."

"Heh…teme isn't such a golden boy now, is he?"

"Urusai, dobe."

"TEMEEE~!"

**全**

Kakashi chuckled as he watched his students from his treetop perch. Sasuke and Naruto had descended into arguments once more, with Sakura attempting to get a word or three in edgewise but finding it impossible with all the yelling. Finally, she seemed to snap. The silver-haired man leaned in; he wanted to see what she'd do.

**全**

"Both of you! STOP ARGUING! It doesn't accomplish anything! Now, Sasuke, eat some of my food."

Sasuke looked at the pinkette in question with an incredulous expression.

"Do you want us all to fail? If you feed me, you'll get us all dropped from the shinobi program. I'm not hungry anyway—"

Sasuke's stomach growled rather loudly. He glanced away in embarrassment. He hadn't eaten anything since the previous day's lunch, and blood does nothing to satisfy normal nutritional requirements.

_Screw not being hungry, I think my stomach's trying to eat itself._

"Well, okay, maybe I'm a little—MMPH!"

Sakura smirked, grabbed her rice-loaded chopsticks, and shoved them into Sasuke's mouth, forcing him to accept the food by covering his nose. He had no choice but to swallow; otherwise, he'd suffocate and die. The moment the rice went down his throat, however, a huge matrix of dark storm clouds began to swirl into being before them. Lightning flashed, and Kakashi appeared from the mist, looking the part of a great and terrible god come to wreak vengeance upon three disobedient children.

Sasuke's mouth dropped open, Sakura dropped her bento, and Naruto fell over backwards. Such was the shock of Team Seven.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU?! _WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!"_

Sakura answered in a meek tone of voice, Kakashi's roaring tenor frightening her.

"Not to feed the Sasuke."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"…We fed the Sasuke."

"THAT'S IT! TEAM SEVEN, YOU DISOBEYED MY ORDERS TO HELP YOUR TEAMMATE! IS THIS CORRECT?!"

All three of the Genin answered as one, united in the face of this new danger.

"Hai."

Naruto added on to the one-worded response.

"The teme was starving! He would've inconvenienced us, and made us all fail, so we _had _to feed him!"

Sasuke, feeling the sudden need to put in his two cents, said,

"We're a team, Kakashi-sensei. We are one being, one person, one life. Everything we do, we do for the good of us all. If Konoha can't see that, if they can't accept that fact, then I'm not sure I even want to be a ninja here."

Kakashi's rage suddenly turned to sparkling sunshine and rainbows and general happiness. He eye-smiled at the shell-shocked trio.

"Very well. You pass! You worked together to defeat me, and teamwork is one of Konoha's main ideals. Those who don't follow the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. You've proven that you understand that concept. Welcome to the ninja world!"

Those words took a while to process in three Genin's heads. But once their implications registered…

"YATTA~! I'M A NINJA, DATTEBAYO—"

"Oh my Kami, oh my Kami, oh my Kami—"

"—THIS IS THE GREATEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE, NO, WAIT, SECOND-GREATEST, THE GREASTEST WAS WHEN ICHIRAKU'S HAD A FREE RAMEN BUFFET—"

"Oh my Kami, oh my Kami, oh my Kami, oh my Kami—"

"—NOW THAT WAS A GREAT DAY, BUT THIS IS PRETTY AWESOME TOO, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT—"

"Oh my Kami, oh my Kami, oh my Kami, oh my Kami~! Oh my Kami—"

"—BECAUSE THE TEME'S TIED TO A STUMP 'CUZ HE'S TOO MUCH OF A TEME TO BE FREE—"

"Oh. My. Kami! OH MY KAMI~! OH MY KAAAAAMI~! OH MY KAMI—"

"—STUPID TEME, TEME, TEME, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A TEME? I DON'T KNOW 'CUZ I'M NOT A TEME, BUT YOU'RE A TEME SO YOU SHOULD KNOW REALLY WELL—"

"OH MY KAMI! OH MY KAMI! OH MY KAMI! OH MY KAMI—"

"Should we stop them?"

"…Nah. This is kinda entertaining."

"Hn. Whatever, sensei."

"Hehe…moo."

"Stupid old teachers with weird senses of humor."

"…I heard that."

"I'm surprised. Don't old men usually have bad hearing?"

"…I'm 29."

"Like I said…old man."

**全**

"Oi…Sakura…would you…em…"

"Oh! Gomenasai, Sasuke!"

"…Hn!"

"Could you have made the ropes just a _little _tighter, Kakashi-sensei? Honestly!"

"…I didn't want him to get free."

"…HN!"

"I'm sorry, Sasuke! I have to tighten the ropes first in order to undo the knots!"

"…Ugh…Hah…hah…UN!"

"These knots won't come undone!"

"Use…a…KUNAI!"

"…Oh. Sorry. On it."

"Hehe…Teme's turning blue~! I need a camera!"

"Wha…OH MY KAMI SASUKE! WHY DIDN'T YOU _TELL _ME THE ROPES WERE TOO TIGHT?!"

"…Maybe because he's unconscious?"

"Really helpful, Kakashi-sensei. I'm not blind."

"Just checking. Can't have unobservant shinobi in the field."

"…Naruto shouldn't be here, then."

"…Ah, he'll be fine. The idiots _always_ get the crazy stamina and insane luck o' the Irish."

"…Just help me with Sasuke."

"Fine."

"WAIT! WAIT! I JUST NEED _ONE _PICTURE! _JUST ONE!"_

**全**

"Would you PLEASE sit still long enough to take the team picture?!"

"Sorry, photographer-san, demo…these idiots can't stop arguing. Like, _ever."_

"TEME~!"

"Hn. Dobe."

"Stuck-up snotnose!"

"Usuratonkachi."

"Brat!"

"Dead-last."

"Sickly white weirdo!"

"Whiskered freak."

"Goody-two—HEY! Kakashi-sensei, that was my HAIR!"

"HN!"

"Both of you, turn to face the camera before I make you."

"On three…ready…one! Two! THREE!"

"AAAH~! THE LIGHT! IT BURNS~!"

"Dobe."

"BOYS! What did I say?!"

"Sit still long enough to take the picture."

"Hn. What the baka said."

"TE—Hey, Sakura-chan, what are you—ARGH~!"

"STOP FIGHTING OR I'LL PUNCH YOU AGAIN!"

"WAAH~! GOMENASAI, SAKURA-CHAN~!"

"…Hn."

"Interesting bunch you have here, Kakashi-sempai."

"…You have _no _idea, Hiroku-san."

**全**

Sasuke sighed, heavy steps echoing throughout the narrow side street he was forced to use (stupid fangirls and their shrieking), and mulled over the events of the day. He could hear the kunai clicking together in his thigh holster, yet another reminder that he was, in fact, a legal ninja. An adult in the eyes of the law. He was…free. A small, quiet smile curved across his face, a genuine expression of happiness. Sticking his hands in his pockets, the raven's fingers gently traced the edge of the picture the photographer had given them. Kakashi had one hand on his hand, the other on Naruto's. Sakura stood, smiling, between the two boys who were glaring at each other as if there was no tomorrow. Kakashi leaned over them, singular eye arcing in an indication of a grin.

His teammates. His sensei.

The smile vanished.

He couldn't stand to keep it there.

Sasuke could sense a new beginning forming, rising from the ashes of his shattered life. The deaths of his entire clan at the hands and blade of his brother had utterly annihilated his heart, soul, and former being. Now, a new personality was manifesting itself, one that had been steeped in blood, hate, and darkness. And Sasuke welcomed it, for it would bring his brother to justice. Snarling, he crushed the photo in his fist.

He didn't have room for bonds. Bonds caused pain. He'd allowed himself to open up _far _too much to the three people he'd be working with from now on. Sasuke would have to sever any and all residual, personal connections to them.

Because he was an avenger, and avengers didn't feel.

Shaking his head, Sasuke walked faster, biting his lip, bangs shading his eyes.

He never noticed the small movements in the shadows, nor the slight gleam of eyes in the lowlight.

**全**

**_~ Tsuzuku ~_**

**A/N: *is running around screaming her head off* Oh my Kami, I'm ****_so sorry _****this is so late! ToT**

**To reward you all, my faithful readers, I've made this one a double-chappie—that's why it took so long! I realized midway through that I'd already hit my 3000-word-per-chapter mark, and I wasn't even at the bell test (which is what the chapter was named for!), so I decided to be an awesomesauce authoress and do this. So, that's my excuse. Plus, I would've had this updated two days ago had FF not decided to put a temporary ban on my account for having lyrics in one of my oneshots (lolwat?!) so I couldn't update yesterday or the day before. Add to that the ten chapters of ****_To Kill a Mockingbird _****that I have to read and annotate by Friday while attending track club sessions and I barely have time for my homework! So…yeah. I got like 4 hours of sleep, so forgive me if the last bit sounds a little crackish.**

**Sasuke: Your writing always sounds crackish.**

**KBA: *sniffle* Do you really think so?**

**Itachi: Foolish otouto's opinion doesn't matter. You are better than this.**

**KBA: *eyes watering* Arigatou gozaimasu, Itachi-kun~! Anyway, I think our newest announcer has arrived!**

***everyone looks towards door***

***awkward silence***

**~3 HOURS LATER~**

***door opens***

**Kakashi: Yo! Sorry I'm late, I got—**

**KBA: LIAR! Do your intro before my Uchiha servants kill you DEAD!**

**Itachi and Sasuke: *growl menacingly***

**Kakashi: Yare, yare, don't be mean…*cue voice change* Our young hero takes on his first mission, but why won't he speak?! Tune in next time for: Let's Go, Team! Mission: Catch Tora!**

**This chapter's page break is ****_zen, _****or ****_complete._**


	4. San

**Chapter 3**

Let's Go, Team! Mission: Catch Tora!

**組**

"Myaaa~n…"

Sakura stretched contentedly, yawning comically as the morning sun shone on her face. Eyes still fuzzy and body still half-asleep, she stumbled down the stairs of her parents' apartment to the scent of cooking eggs and bacon. Nose in the air, Sakura shuffled down the hall and into the kitchen, where her mother Mebuki stood at the stove, flipping an omelet with a look of extreme determination. Around her, various pots, pans, and utensils lay soiled and charred.

The blonde woman turned, the wrinkles around her mouth deepening as she smiled at her pink-haired daughter.

"Ohayo, Saku-chan!"

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Kaa-san! Do you want help with breakfast?"

"Hai, please. Since your father left on that B-Rank mission, I've been having a little trouble keeping up, and I wanted to make you breakfast before your very first ninja mission!"

It was a well-known fact that in the Haruno household, Kizashi cooked the meals. Why? Mebuki simply could not be allowed near food. She burnt everything she touched.

Sakura sighed, smiling softly, before taking the pan from her mother's hand. Her father had taught her how to cook, as he was a highly skilled Chuunin who was often called out on missions for weeks at a time. The memory of the lilac-haired man with cerise eyes made Sakura smile. Kizashi always made her grin and laugh effortlessly. In fact, his nickname among the forces was "Last-Laugh Kizashi," because of his tendency to crack jokes and exchange banter with an opponent before disposing of them.

The omelet sizzled on the hot iron of the skillet, the scent of breakfast wafting up into Sakura's face with the moist steam of the eggs. A final flip, and the thick, springy, golden, breakfast calzone was flopping onto a plate, waiting as it was beside a fork, knife, and cup of orange juice.

"What's in it?"

"Ano…bacon, green peppers, tomatoes, and…I think a bit of hot sauce?"

Sakura giggled at her mother's utterly confused expression. Really, the woman couldn't cook to save her life. Shearing a bite of omelet off with her knife, Sakura made eye contact with her mother.

"Arigatou, Kaa-san."

Mebuki smiled at her only daughter as she finished the omelet and ran back up the stairs to get dressed.

_I'm so proud of you, Sakura. You'll surpass your father, I just know it._

"Ja ne, Kaa-san! I'll see you later!"

"Alright! You have to tell me all about your mission!"

"Hai~!"

_I can feel it._

**組**

"Ohayo, Sasuke!"

Sasuke looked up from his place, leaning against the red railing of the bridge and staring into the crystal blue waters slithering below. He nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement of his female teammate, who trotted up to him clad in her standard scarlet cheongsam.

_ Don't say anything to her. Don't say anything to her. You're an avenger. You don't connect with people._

"So~…whatcha doin'?"

_Ah, screw it._

"Nothing."

"You were staring at the water. That's not nothing."

"Yes, it is."

"Is not!"

"Is."

"Isn't!"

"Is!"

"Isn't!"

"IS!"

"ISN'T!"

"STARING AT THE WATER IS THE SAME AS STARING VACANTLY INTO THE DISTANCE, WHICH IS CONSIDERED _DOING NOTHING!"_

"…Isn't."

"…There's no arguing with you, is there?"

"Nope!"

Rather belatedly, Sasuke realized that he'd just blown his plan out of the water and had a completely pointless argument with a girl with _natural pink hair, _who'd turned away with a brilliant smile on her face to stare over the other side of the structure.

**_It won't matter once she finds out what you are. She'll be disgusted. All of them will._**

****_No, she won't. She won't find out._

_**And if you get hungry on a mission?**_

****_…_

_**It's only a matter of time. They'll abandon you, too. Just like everyone else did.**_

****_Shut up. SHUT UP!_

_**You know I'm right…just give in to me…listen to my truths and make them your own…**_

****_NO!_

The bridge railing splintered beneath Sasuke's hands, whose nails seemed to be sharpening and lengthening. The tendons stood out, shaking violently as they pulled at seizing muscles. With the full force of his will, Sasuke stopped the transformation before it could occur, elongating fangs halting in their course just before they split twin gashes in his lip. A thin trail of blood oozed from a deep cut on the raven's palm, but he ignored it. The red paint would hide the gore's trickling path down the wood anyway, though he wouldn't be able to conceal the cut or the destroyed portion of railing. Shaking his head to clear it, Sasuke walked beneath the scarlet_ torii_ archway, leaning against a sturdy support as he attempted to figure out his life.

The voice in his head wouldn't go away. Sasuke didn't know who (or what) it was, only that it curled in the back of his mind like a malevolent snake, always coiling, trying to twist his thoughts with its potent poison. He could ignore it, but he had a feeling that it would come when he was at his most vulnerable. Unfortunately, Sasuke thought he knew exactly when that was; the day his life had fallen to pieces.

And he didn't like it. At all.

**組**

Naruto arrived at the bridge meeting point about thirty minutes late, muttering something about bad milk, spatulas, and spilt pork ramen. Sasuke sighed; if Kakashi's previous tardiness was anything to go by, they'd be stuck waiting for him for at least two more hours. Deciding to take advantage of the fact, the raven leapt gracefully on top of the _torii, _alighting gently, almost like a sparrow. Assuming the lotus position, with his legs folded beneath him and hands resting, relaxed, on his knees, Sasuke closed his eyes, evened his breathing, and delved into the recesses of his mind.

**組**

_He's standing in a wide, open courtyard, surrounded by twining ivy and blooming roses and the scent of fresh rainwater. Before him, a huge archway, leading to a cobblestone path amid a huge field with knee-high reeds. Sasuke steps forward, feet making no sound, as he passes through the doorway._

_ The path branches off into three parts; the left leads to a huge structure of white marble, shimmering in the light (though it seems flawless, Sasuke can distinguish tiny cracks in the armor, because he knows they're there). The center winds towards a Shinto temple, ornate rooftops curling into the sky like the horns of some massive demon, ringed by Kanji and draped with thousands of scrolls. The right goes to a long corridor made of flame, flickering in the breeze, the tongues of fire forming faces, figures, and various items. Directly in front of him, however, is the object of his interest._

_ Embedded in the stone are five thick iron bars, each emblazoned with a different elemental Kanji to keep the being they house trapped in its prison. Sasuke knows this is where the voice is from; that's why it sounds so faint. It is being repressed, by seal or by instinct he doesn't know._

_ A clawed hand shoots from the abyss, snaking through the bars to rend the air where Sasuke's legs once were. The teen in question is several feet away, studying the hand through narrowed eyes. A low, menacing growl sounds from deep within the earth beneath his feet, like the ruble of thunder before a lightning strike._

_**"You dare to disturb me, child…you're stupider than they give you credit for."**_

****_"Stop speaking to me, oni. I don't want to deal with your pressuring while I'm on a mission or in a battle."_

_**"Damned arrogant gaki! You dare to presume that I will deign to cease bestowing you with my holy advice?!"**_

****_"…Aa."_

_**"Heh…mortals. So absolutely naïve, ordering favors from a demon the likes of me! How brash of you. I'll leave you alone when you wish me to. But there is a price, gaki."**_

****_"What price?"_

_**"I will be released from this infernal cage!"**_

****_"Iie."_

_**"I won't be free to do as I please, gaki. I'll just shut up about freeing me (it would be pointless anyway) and see the world through your eyes, hear it through your ears, touch it through your hands. I will be free, in a way."**_

****_"…"_

_**"Oh come on! I'll be able to give you advice through a telekinetic connection, as well as loaning you my chakra. Damn it all, mortal, just accept! You have far more to gain than I!"**_

****_"…Fine."_

_ Sasuke notices the demon's voice has taken on a somewhat whiny tone, like Naruto's when he is forbidden to eat at Ichiraku's. Pulling down his right arm warmer, Sasuke activates the rune Dimittere, the rune of Release, and watches as the bold, swirling matrix spirals down from his inner wrist to his palm, forming a complex design ringed with hundreds of tiny Kanji. Pushing chakra to his hand, Sasuke slams his palm to the earth as the tip of each finger sparks and ignites with blued flame._

_ "Ninpou: Ryuunotamashii no Shiruu!"_

_ A loud clanging fills the air as the five elemental bars crack and shatter, the shards of metal evaporating into pure white mist. The hand reappears, pulling the rest of the demon's body through the hole. Sasuke turns to examine the immortal, onyx eyes betraying no emotion._

_ It has a humanoid body, with pale, almost-translucent skin coating chiseled muscles and a slight, yet powerful frame. It stands about five feet and seven inches tall, a good head more than Sasuke, and the tips of its wildly spiked silver-gray hair reach a good six inches up from his scalp before being pulled into a high ponytail that touches the small of its back. Deep, orange-red eyes survey the Genin, the absence of visible pupils giving the effect of an eerily blind stare. The demon grins, revealing long fangs where its incisors should be. Its torso is bare, but long black pants (bandaged at the ends), gray shin guards, and matching sandals cover its lower half. Two tiered, deep red plates of armor protect the demon's hips, and a long, elegant broadsword with a batwing hilt and ruby-set pommel hangs from a dark leather strap stretching across the torso. _

_ In all, the specter is unearthly beautiful. Crimson and charcoal clash, and the demon's smile widens._

_**"You may call me Zian. I am the inner personification of your vampirism. I am also male. Without my release, you would never be able to transform willingly. As it is, the vampiric traits that were previously sealed along with me have surfaced."**_

****_One piece of the statement attracts Sasuke's attention._

****_"So it's possible."_

_**"Yes, but now is not the time to discuss it. I sense another chakra drawing near, one of a purifying nature. Withdraw from your meditation, gaki. We'll talk later."**_

****_"I'll hold you to that."_

_ Sasuke exits the mindscape to the sound of Zian's roaring laughter._

**組**

Sasuke opened his eyes again, noting stiffness in his muscles that hadn't been there before he began his vigil, and immediately had to shut them once more. The newly vivacious, jewel-bright colors of the world burnt his retinas with their intensity. Squinting, Sasuke risked another glance around him, marveling at the incredible detail with which he beheld the landscape. It was a little disorienting, being aware of the movements of an insect fifteen feet behind him. His auditory senses fared no better.

Two loud sets of rhythmic beats battered Sasuke's eardrums, accompanied by a strange, almost-silent _whooshing _sound, like the waves on a beach. Momentarily forgetting what he was, Sasuke looked down at Sakura and Naruto, trying to see their reaction to the immense sound. However, the two just continued talking, unaware of his silent observations. Then, he realized; _he was hearing their heartbeats. _Another change, however, took the focus from his hearing to his sense of smell.

A small, brief breeze splashed twin scents in Sasuke's face, accompanied by the pine-and-oak smell that pervaded all of Konoha. The first was warm, almost sunlit, with hints of musk and broth and _was that cinnamon?_

_Naruto._

The second reminded Sasuke of his mother. The smell of fresh spring flowers, with an underlying baseline of vanilla and strawberry and _sky._

_ …Sakura._

The ninja took a moment to bask in the familiar-but-not scent, a bittersweet prospect considering the fact that his mother had died five years ago, along with the rest of his family. A crushing weight settled on Sasuke's chest as he once again vowed to avenge his fallen clan; he would _not _let the deed go unpunished, no matter what he had to do to achieve his goal. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, Sasuke leapt down and away from the _torii _as a poof of smoke erupted behind him, signaling the three-hour-late arrival of their errant sensei with his signature little orange book. The silver-haired man's eye closed in a smile as he saluted them with two fingers.

"Yo! Sorry I'm late; I got lost on the road of life. You know how it is."

The blonde-and-pink duo sweatdropped as the scarecrow jumped from his perch, where Sasuke had been sitting until a mere moment ago.

"Where's my last cute little student?"

"Yeah, where'd the teme go, 'ttebayo?"

"But Sasuke was just here a second ago…where _could _he have gone?"

Sasuke smirked confidently, quite a feat considering he was lounging quietly on a branch and swinging his legs in a fashion that could be considered girly _if he wasn't an Uchiha male_. He almost made a smart-alecky comment, but restrained himself.

_From now on, I won't talk to them. I open myself up a little more every time I interact with them, and it influences my emotions. I'm an avenger; emotions are a hinderance. Ergo, I cannot converse with the members of my team except for when the situation requires it._

And so, instead of alerting the three to his presence, Sasuke dropped from the tree and landed in a crouch, directly in front of Naruto. The blonde started, obviously disconcerted by his "sudden" appearance, and snarled.

"Teme! You're later than Kakai-sensei—"

"—Yare, yare, don't be mean Naruto-kun—"

"—and for our first mission! Where the _hell _were you, 'ttebayo?!"

Sasuke let his eyes flick sideways, meeting Naruto's angry gaze out of the corners of his vision.

"Hn."

The _I don't have to explain myself to a dobe like you _went unsaid, and hung a little thickly in the air between the two boys. Kakashi coughed somewhat awkwardly, and turned to his students.

"Your mission is simple, should you choose to accept it; you are to pursue and intercept your target, then report back to the mission assignment office located on the second floor of the Hokage Tower. Your client will be waiting for you."

"Target description?"

"Yeah, what's it look like, 'ttebayo?"

"Hn."

"Mid-sized brown feline with a red bow on the right ear; estimated weight is 15 pounds, estimated length is 20 inches including tail. Got it?"

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei!"

"I got it, 'ttebayo!"

"Aa."

"Good. Your mission begins…_now. _Team Seven, turn on your throat mics and scatter!"

Three streaks of black, red, and orange split off, soaring away from the little red bridge where a Jounin waited, smiling slightly, for his students' return.

**組**

Sakura resisted the urge to simply obliterate every obstacle in her path. She'd seen the cat alright, but it'd disappeared into an immense crowd of old civilian women who, to her regret, were too frail to shove out of the way. Tuning into her teammates' channel, Sakura spoke softly into the mouthpiece strapped about her neck.

"I've seen the target, but it got away. Stupid civilians."

Naruto's voice crackled over the wireless, a little distorted thanks to the wind in the background.

_"I'm in the forest, 'ttebayo! Nothin' here but bugs and old civilian cans!"_

"Sasuke? Where are you?"

There was nothing but static; the white noise shockingly loud in her ears.

"Sasuke! Come in!"

Finally, his voice came through, albeit a little strained.

_"Found it."_

"Really? Where?!"

_"…the Uchiha District."_

Even Naruto had the grace to refrain from responding. Everyone knew that the massacre had changed Sasuke for the worse. The once happy-go-lucky, sweet, kind boy they once knew was gone, replaced with a cynical and cruel person scornful of almost everything.

The only thing that didn't fit with his image was the way he'd been acting around her that morning, as well as the instance in the training fields…come to think of it, Sasuke's behavior _had _been rather erratic as of late, all starting when he was assigned a team.

Maybe he'd been acting oddly _because _he was on a team?

Sakura would've mulled over the thought more, but Sasuke spoke again.

_"I have it cornered in the district, but it's still a fairly large area. Meet me at the gates; I'm the only one who can open them."_

_"…Be there before you can blink, teme!"_

"I'm on my way!"

_"Hurry up. The longer you take, the longer it has to hide."_

Sakura could almost hear a hint of emotion in the Uchiha's voice, a barely-there trembling in the words that suggested fear or nervousness.

The question was…_why?_

**組**

Sasuke sighed, running his right hand through his bangs. In retrospect, it probably wasn't a good idea to "invite" his teammates into the district. He himself hadn't been there since the massacre, and the dreaded feelings were beginning to surface again. While talking over the mic, he'd hoped that the white noise and distortion would be enough to hide the tremor in his traitorous timbre, from the strong, crushing waves of emotion he'd tried so hard to repress.

_Stay in control. You do not feel. You are a tool._

"OOOI~! SASUKE~!"

In a whoosh of displaced air and a blur of pink and red, Sakura appeared behind and to the right of him. Turning slightly, Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement of her presence. He fought to keep his eyes flinty and his expression neutral as he beheld her rather disheveled appearance.

Sakura's hair was in disarray, random pieces spiking out from the sides and back. Her clothes were dusty and wrinkled, and he could see small scrapes, cuts, and smears of dirt on her skin. Her mouth hung slightly slack as she panted, trying to recover from her flight across the rooftops and power lines of Konoha.

"So we're waiting on Naruto?"

"Aa."

Sakura swallowed audibly as she padded to his side, staring up at the huge wooden-and-stone gate adorned with the red-and-white _uchiwa _fan. Immense walls of smooth, sparkling gray stone ringed the compound, enclosing a world with which only Sasuke was familiar. The old shops, market, houses, training field…only Sasuke truly knew what lay beyond the gates and within the walls.

Naruto arrived a short while later, and stared up at the gates in awe. He reached to push them open, but a thin, calloused hand captured his wrist.

"Don't. The traps on the entrance are still active."

Naruto gulped as he stared into Sasuke's fathomless eyes.

"T-traps?!"

The raven nodded and looked over to Sakura with a wordless answer to her question. She doubted him; he could sense it.

Stepping up to the huge structure, Sasuke closed his eyes, allowing the matrix of energy to flow and twist around him. The fiery orange and red patterns of the gate before him contrasted heavily with the cool blues and greens of the ambient chakra in the area and the deep purples and grays surrounding the compound, the last emotions of the dead that still haunted the walls. Suppressing a flinch, Sasuke mentally activated his _Callidus _rune, used for keenness of inner sight, utilizing the newfound increase in his perception to pick apart the traps set on the door, engineered so that only a rune-bearing Uchiha could decode and deactivate them from the outside.

Suffice to say, it was easy to get out but extremely hard to get back in.

Three separate jutsu-based triggers were set on the door; one would cause a minor earthquake when a non-Uchiha contacted the wood, one would set the newly-upheaved earth aflame, and the last would exude a shockwave of lightning chakra to shock the intruders to death. Another rune-based ploy stretched over not only the gate but the huge walls surrounding it. It would ensure a speedy and "accidental" death for a non-Uchiha in the event that they evaded the first three dangers.

Slowly, Sasuke channeled chakra into his hands, pushing it out to the tips of his fingers just as Itachi had once shown him. The energy formed tiny needles of light blue that he ran through the first tripwires, effectively deactivating the first jutsu, then the second and third.

Now for the rune.

It was one that Sasuke himself had never seen, and he didn't know if he could solve it. He knew he could just walk into the compound, but what of his teammates? As much as he was loathe to admit it, Sasuke needed their help to complete the mission. And so, he scanned the construction, seeing the kanji for _seal, protect, kill, honor, valor, righteous…_he suddenly remembered a snatch of a conversation he'd had with his father over the gates.

_"Ne, ne, tou-san, what's that huge inky kanji thing?"_

_"That, Sasuke, is the Rune Archangelus, the Archangel's Rune. It is the strongest there is, so strong that ambient chakra cannot sustain it. It needs to be recharged every five years to replenish its power and ensure that no one is able to decrypt it and generate a counter-rune."_

If he remembered correctly, that had been about five months before the massacre, which had been _five years ago. _The rune's power should be on the wane, if his guess was correct.

Still working in the pseudo-mindscape, Sasuke began to write counter-kanji around the originals, working the opposites so that they would cancel out the Archangel's effect.

_Release. Attack. Save. Dishonor. Cowardice. Sinful._

And so, a new runic structure began to take shape, new, bold lines weaving strongly around the feeble ones of the old. Sasuke decided to call it the _Daemonum Commutationem, _the Rune of Demonic Exchange. He could sense the Archangel's energy shutting down, being siphoned off into the neutralizing rune until the balance was equal, effectively negating the old rune's effects.

**組**

Sakura and Naruto watched as Sasuke approached the gate, almost as if he was in a trance. Onyx eyes glazed over ever-so-slightly as the teen laid a hand gently on the worn wooden surface, observing something only he could see. The fingers of the hand contracted slightly, then relaxed as long, thin chakra needles erupted from their tips. Sasuke brushed his hand over the gate, the needles flaring brighter in certain spots before returning to normal.

Then, he stopped in the center of the structure and closed his eyes. Before their eyes, a huge, glowing rune bloomed, surrounded by thousands of kanji, glimmering a fiery orangey-gold. As they watched, a new rune began to take form, all twining lines and elegant characters. Compared to the existing one, the new symbol seemed almost evil, with its dark purple matrix dimming the luminescence of the other. Both runes flashed brightly a moment, then disappeared back into the gate as Sasuke retracted his hand and opened his eyes, pushing gently at the gate.

It swung open soundlessly, and Sasuke turned his head to watch them over his shoulder.

"Welcome to the Uchiha district."

**組**

"Welcome to the Uchiha district."

Sasuke prided himself on his control over his voice; it didn't betray the level and depth of the myriad of emotions coursing through his body at the moment. He spun on his heel and strode through the gates, keeping his eyes down as his teammates followed him down the main street, letting out small gasps of shock and horror.

Kunai and shuriken were still buried in the walls, spidery cracks bolting from the points of impact. The paper lanterns that hung from the eaves were shredded, some parts still hanging, others decaying in the dirt. A single katana, with a long red tassel fastened to the hilt, was embedded deep in the earth. But the most shocking thing?

The white chalk outlines of body after body, propped up against walls, lying limp on porches, arching through ripped rice paper doors. The weapons that killed them remained in the walls, a testament to the force with which they were thrown. Dried blood coated the area, a dark reddish-brown with age.

Sasuke could sense that it was hard for them to believe that the outlines had once been his family. He did, too.

Every memory from that night rushed back in vivid detail, from coming home late from the Academy to a crime scene to watching as his kind, passive elder brother brutally murdered their parents. His fists clenched involuntarily as he lowered his vision into the second-sight of the chakra world, reading the energy signatures throughout the compound.

A mere second later, he swallowed audibly.

"What is it?"

Sakura always was too concerned for her own good.

"I found the cat."

"Where, 'ttebayo?!"

"…in the main house."

The _where my parents died _was rather obvious. Sakura and Naruto shared a look behind his back as he turned away.

"Come on. Let's go."

**組**

Sakura was thankful they had Sasuke; without him, both she and Naruto would probably be dead because of the traps on the gates, or seriously injured, or lost in the maze of buildings.

_It's almost like a scaled-down version of Konoha in here! The Uchiha probably didn't ever have to leave the compound to shop or train…_

She and Naruto were running after Sasuke, who had been unusually silent over the course of the trip, leading them through the alleys and streets. Sakura could tell that he'd travelled this route many times before (which he had) and knew it by heart. That much was apparent, she mused, as Sasuke took another sharp turn, his _zori _skidding over the unpaved ground and sending up puffs of bone-white dust, and bolted down another alleyway, using the narrow width to his advantage and jumping from wall to wall to clear a blockade of old timbers and ruined weapons.

The only sounds were the claps of their sandals against the earth and the gusty rush of their weary breathing. After what seemed like forever, Sasuke slid to a stop, so suddenly that Naruto narrowly avoided crashing into him, before a grand house, like a Gothic-styled mansion with an Eastern twist.

The wind whistled through the dead branches of blackened trees and hollow leaves of browning reeds. The imposing figure of the mansion split the sky with long, thin spires and sharpened edges. Sasuke looked up, a storm of emotion whirling in darkened eyes. His breath hissed through clenched teeth as he stared up at the castle-like structure. Sakura could see the rise and fall of his ribs through the slightly-loose shirt he wore; she could tell he was stressed, but hiding it well. Suddenly, he turned to her.

"You've encountered the cat, right?"

"Hai…?"

"Can you track its chakra?"

"Hai!"

Sakura clasped her hands in the ram seal, closing her eyes in concentration as she allowed her outer sight to fade away into darkness. Sasuke appeared as a glowing nebula of blue-swirled red, with lavender and mauve spirals interspersed throughout. Naruto was surrounded by ripples of orange, with a nova of deep red encasing the azure of his normal chakra coils. Up three flights of stairs and down a hallway was a smaller signature, deep green in color, which Sakura assumed belonged to the cat.

"Found it. Third floor, down the hall."

Wordlessly, Sasuke strode through the front yard, brushing against the reeds and past the trees to arrive at the front door, swinging it open on silent hinges and slipping through the crack. Sakura looked over to Naruto, who looked incredibly creeped out, took a deep breath, and passed over the threshold after their teammate.

**組**

The memories were haunting him again. They swirled about at the forefront of his mind, brought forth by his presence in the place where he'd been raised for eight perfect years. Memories of his mother's gentle smile and kind words, his father's reassuring smirks and firm pats on the head or shoulder, his brother's warmth and the sound of his heartbeat.

Sasuke remembered the rhythm of Itachi's blood the most of all; after he'd been bitten by a carrier of the virus, he'd had awful nightmares consisting of darkness, blood, and death. It had gotten so bad that he was afraid to close his eyes.

He recalled clearly the first time he'd gone to Itachi; the teen had offered a small, soothing smile that put all of Sasuke's fears to rest and scooted over a little on the mattress. The boy remembered curling up on his brother's chest and listening to the lulling throbs of the cardiac muscle beneath his ribs, the steady rush of air through his lungs, and the occasional soft triple-beat of a heart murmur. It had become a routine, over time, for them; Sasuke couldn't sleep without the sound of a heartbeat, and Itachi had trouble resting without the comforting weight of his little brother's head over his sternum.

After Itachi's betrayal, it had taken him over six months to begin sleeping regularly again, and he was once more plagued with nightmares. Over and over again, Sasuke watched his family die before his eyes, for hours and hours at a time. At one point, he'd attempted to give up sleep permanently, but stopped when the nightmares invaded his conscious mind during the waking hours of the day.

So, he'd resorted to training almost constantly, in the hopes that he'd exhaust himself so much that his mind would have to refrain from sending him the visions. That was the only thing that worked, really; however, it came at a price. Sasuke was the most injured Academy student, often coming to school with bruises, cuts, scrapes, strains, sprains, and the occasional broken bone, completing at least sixteen hours of training each day, only getting seven hours of sleep a night. It was a precarious balance he maintained; less than seven hours, and he would begin hallucinating, but any more than seven and the visions would be back. He wouldn't admit it, but he needed help; a permanent solution to the problem that in no way involved Itachi.

A creak sounded from behind him, on the stairs, and he smirked. The tricky step; the one Sasuke had avoided to steal many a midnight snack, the one that always, _always, _creaked unless one knew exactly where and how to step. Another creak, and the smirk widened. His hand slid over the age-smoothed wooden banister, the roughness worn away by the sandpaper of time. The rail slipped from beneath him, and Sasuke stopped on the landing of the third floor; where his and Itachi's rooms had been.

Trailing his fingers over the old, cracking paint on the walls, he couldn't help but smile slightly, seeing an almost-outline of his younger self, running down the hall, smiling and laughing, as his elder brother chased him, also laughing.

_My memories are superimposing themselves on my perception._

Sasuke blinked, banishing the image, upon hearing the hesitant footsteps of his teammates. He then realized how he must look, one hand on the wall, staring into space with a small smile on his face when he _never showed any emotion._

Quickly, he let the expression slide from his face, returning it to its normal, apathetic state, and took his hand off the wall, instead choosing to drop it back to rest on his weapons pouch. Sakura's voice called from down the stairs.

"Sasuke? The cat's in the room to your right!"

"Aa."

He said softly, prowling forward with a hunter's tread, twin kunai gripped in his right hand, twirling by the pommel rings about slender, dexterous fingers. His feet made barely any sound as he slithered through the cracked-open door. He didn't allow the brief, sharp pang of pain in his heart to hinder him as he crept into what was once his room.

The walls were covered in torn blue wallpaper, the hardwood flooring no longer polished and bright but dusty and splintered. The bed and mattress were covered in a thin sheen of grime that billowed up from the comforter when he brushed against it.

_The cat must be under the bed._

Sasuke thought as he lifted the edge of the duvet, meeting two glowing amber eyes. The scent of feline assaulted his nose, and his sensitive hearing picked up on the soft sounds of fur against wood. Night vision kicked in a little late, allowing Sasuke to make out the animal's form, half-hidden in shadow as it was.

_Got you._

He smirked, slightly-sharpened incisors showing as he maneuvered them past his bottom lip, ensuring that he didn't split it open on the needle-like points. The muscles in his arm flexed rapidly, then snapped open, sending his hand shooting for the cat. Tora screeched in anger as fingers closed in her scruff, lifting her by the back of the neck into Sasuke's arms. Holding the squirming, screaming tabby, Sasuke walked out of the room, muscles tensed to withstand the insane cat's scratching attacks. His sandals left treaded footprints in the thick layers of dust covering the floor. Tora let out another round of yowls when she spied Sakura and Naruto peeking from around the corner.

Sasuke took a moment to reflect upon just how odd this would look to them; him, standing, coated in grime, dispassionately in the empty hall clutching a struggling brown cat. The many scratches the beast had inflicted on his chest and arms stood out fiery red against almost-white skin. The tattered red bow hung forlornly from her ear, drooping in a rather depressed fashion, the ends flicking out when Tora's ears shot back to rest flat against her head.

Suddenly remembering his brother's ninja cat summons, Sasuke's hand almost automatically slithered up to rub between the agitated animal's ears, reducing her to a contented bundle of fur in mere seconds. Gently massaging one of her ears with his thumb, Sasuke looked up to find Sakura and Naruto's shocked faces.

"Come on. Let's finish this mission."

**組**

"Team Seven is here, sir, with their first D-rank mission!"

His secretary called from outside the door. Sarutobi shared a glance with Iruka, sitting at his right, before yelling his answer back.

"Send them in. We can't keep the Daimyo's wife waiting!"

"Hai~!"

The heavy wooden door slid open to reveal the trio, covered in dust, bruises, scrapes, small cuts, and (in Sasuke's case) long, painful-looking scratches, standing in the hall. Tora was curled in Sasuke's arms as his fingers trailed along her spine, purring in sync with the rhythmic movement. Kakashi chose that moment to Shunshin into the room, and gawked (as much as a masked, eye-patched, emotionless shinobi can gawk) at the sight that met him.

Sasuke looked of to the side, slightly embarrassed.

"My brother summoned cats."

After the sentence, Sasuke seemed to trip over himself, shaking his head slightly and biting his lip. Years of reading even the most emotionless shinobi allowed the old Hokage to see that the boy was mentally slapping himself. Sarutobi sighed. This was exactly what he'd feared would happen.

The shock and pain of losing everyone he'd ever loved had left a huge impact on Sasuke. He was afraid of the bonds he'd once cherished, afraid that his life would splinter and come down around him again, afraid of love. The emotions the boy had once displayed for the world to see were now crushed and locked away before they had the chance to bloom. It was Sasuke's way of coping, he supposed, along with training himself to exhaustion. Yes, he knew of the young Uchiha's method of self-torture, knew that Itachi's betrayal had shattered him more than the many deaths, knew that it was that and that alone that had left him unable to trust, to love, to feel.

At least Naruto had a bond with another living, breathing person. Sasuke didn't even have that much.

He was alone, and drowning in his loneliness, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

And as those cold, dark eyes bored into his, Sarutobi could see that even if Sasuke seemed cool and tranquil, inside, he was screaming.

**組**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N: Kami, guys! I am SO SORRY I couldn't update any sooner than this (I've had to deal with training, life, and muscles that hurt whenever I walk thanks to excess running) but I couldn't really find a good stopping point for the chapter, and I didn't want to stop in the middle when I could have gone on and done a double-length chapter, so…yeah. I am aware, again, that Sasuke could seem OOC, but he ****_is _****supposed to be tsundere in here (pretty sure that's in the summary…if it isn't, well, now ya know), which, for those of you who don't know, is tough on the outside but soft on the inside.**

**Sasuke: Why the HELL am I tsundere?!**

**KBA: …Because I wanted you to be. Dattebayo.**

**Itachi: Never, ever say that again. Please.**

**Sasuke: Blondes scare me.**

**Naruto, Ino, and KBA: HEY!**

**KBA: Wait, when did you two get here?!**

**Naruto: …Just now? *sheepish grin***

**Ino: Blame this baka. I was arranging my beautiful bouquet for Sasuke-kun when—**

**Sasuke: D: NO.**

**Ino: But—**

**Sasuke: NO. JUST NO.**

**Itachi: Don't treat girls like that, foolish otouto.**

**Sasuke: I don't like girls.**

**KBA: Then…does this mean…that SasuNaru is a plausible fan pairing?**

**Sasuke and Naruto: HELL NO~!**

**KBA: *holds hands up innocently* Hey, hey, I didn't mean to offend you! One of my friends is a SasuNaru/NaruSasu fangirl!**

**Itachi: *mutters* More like most of them.**

**KBA: *sweetly, with rather insane grin* What was that?**

**Itachi: Nothing! *gulps***

**KBA: Good. Now, Naruto, put yourself to good use and do the teaser for next chapter!**

**Naruto: *clears throat and says in announcer voice* Our favorite ninja—*gags* I can't do this! It's a violation of my ninja code!**

**Ino: Fine. *in slightly-higher-pitched announcer voice* Our favorite ninja gets his newest mission, but why is that drunkard so obsessed with his hair, and what is Sakura hiding? Join us again next time, for: Protect Tazuna! Land of the Waves Arc, Begin!**

**This chapter's page break is ****_kumi, _****or ****_team._**


	5. Yon

**Chapter Four**

Protect Tazuna! Land of the Waves Arc, Begin!

**剽**

_~two months later~_

_Everything is black. He's lying there, in the center of a universe of nothing, floating without thought or care. Clothes and hair billow in an invisible wind, formless, shapeless, senseless. Darkness envelops the world, and Sasuke is at peace._

_It may last a moment, it may last a thousand years; he can't tell anymore. Time has lost its meaning to him now. Then, in a blaze of white, everything shatters._

_Sasuke is looking into a cracked mirror, staring at the distorted reflection of himself. It smiles back at him, baring long, bloodstained fangs, and opens three glowing red eyes._

_He's floating, high above the green-and-brown-and-blue quilt that is the world, drifting through the almost-pillow-like clouds that soon become thunderheads, booming and flashing with forked tongues of lightening. Rain pelts down at him, beating against his face until the spikes of his hair droop, soaking wet. Sasuke closes his eyes as the storm intensifies, throwing him down to the earth almost as if in a child's tantrum._

_The scents of spring assault Sasuke as he opens his eyes once more, to a beautiful hillside view of a calm, clear lake. The cherry blossom tree at his back spreads pink petals everywhere, and the gentle breeze draws ripples from the mirror-like surface of the water and waves in the endless green grass._

_Then he's drowning, drowning in the cold, cold water, clawing at the liquid in a vain attempt to reach its surface once more._

_He inhales in vain, the water's rushing into his lungs, he's choking—_

Sasuke gasped for air, mouth opening as wide as possible in a desperate attempt to breathe. His spine cracked in protest at the speed with which he sat up, eyes wide open and pupils completely dilated in the rapidly dissipating remnants of panic that had gripped mere moments before.

"What the hell…what the hell was that…?"

He stared at his hands, watching as the early morning sunlight filtered through his fingers, shadows creating a complex, dappled pattern there, of darkness and light, of yin and yang, of evil and good, of demon and angel.

He then realized that he was overthinking things again, and that he really needed to put a damper on his poetic muse.

Shaking his head in disgust with himself, Sasuke proceeded to use the age-old method of cold-water-facial-splashing and a cup of black coffee to wake himself up enough to function. Tugging on his clothes, fastening the arm warmers over his runes, and checking to make sure he had an even number of kunai and shuriken, Sasuke set his traps and left the house for the team meeting place.

He couldn't get the nightmare out of his mind, and attributed the continuing terror of the vision to his rising paranoia. The feeling that someone was watching him was just a figment of his imagination.

The mismatched eyes flashed among the leaves as their owner flitted from branch to branch, haunting Sasuke's footsteps with a ghostly precision born of years' experience. The shade slid through the shadows, concealing itself among the bark and brush.

Like a true shinobi.

**剽**

Twin yawns filled the air as Team Seven waited, once more, for their extremely tardy sensei. Kakashi, it seemed, could never be merely five or ten minutes late. No, he went big to avoid going home—he'd never been earlier than two and a half hours after the time he told them to meet. Sakura lounged on the concrete bench, while Sasuke leaned against the bridge railing and Naruto snored in the grass opposite the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura's shoulders cracked as she rolled them in their sockets, stretching her arms over her head. She yawned again, checking the position of the sun against the tops of the distant mountains.

Eleven in the morning. Kakashi would be arriving soon, after all—he'd told them to meet at eight.

"Naruto! Wake up!"

She hissed, rising from her place perched at the end of the bench. The blonde moaned and rolled over, muttering something.

"I dun wanna giturp…"

"You have to! It's already eleven, and Kakashi-sensei will be here soon!"

"Kuhkahshee…sensayyyy…nuuuuu…dun wanna giturp…"

Sasuke opened one eye, observing the sequence of events unfolding before him. A miniscule smirk curved the right side of his lips as Naruto, mouth hanging wide open, rolled into a puddle left from a small rainstorm two nights prior and promptly jumped to his feet, only to hit his head on a conveniently placed tree branch.

Kakashi arrived to the sight of Naruto, unconscious on the ground with a hematoma rapidly forming on the top of his head, being scolded by a furious Sakura, while Sasuke leaned against the bridge railing and watched. Closing his eye, he raised his hand in a two-fingered salute.

"Yo! Sorry I'm late—I got lost on the path of life."

"SAVE IT, SENSEI!"

Sakura turned her annoyance on the Jounin, fist clenched and veins beginning to show in her forehead. Kakashi sweatdropped at her ferocity, holding up his hands as if to portray innocence. By the way her chakra signature seemed to be boiling over and concentrating in her knuckles, he didn't think taking a hit from her would be a good idea.

"Settle down, settle down…anyway, we'll wait for Naruto to wake up, then head to the office to get our missions for the day."

"Hai sensei! But don't think I've forgiven you for being LATE!"

"Aa."

**剽**

Half an hour later found Team Seven standing before the Hokage and a panel of Chuunin, Iruka among them.

"Alright, Team Seven, under Hatake Kakashi…there are quite a few missions available for you kids. Rake up the leaves along the Yamanaka Clan compound's main street, catch Tora again, help an elderly woman with her groceries, walk and wash the Inuzuka dogs, babysit some—"

"HELL NO! Hokage no jiji, you can't call these missions. They're chores that rich, lazy people don't wanna do themselves! Take us seriously, dammit! We're SHINOBI!"

Naruto shook his fist at the panel, all of whom looked shocked except for Iruka (who was facepalming) and the Hokage (who looked almost amused). Sasuke found himself agreeing with the outspoken blonde, even through he'd backtalked the Hokage himself (was he suicidal?!) and generally disrespected his elders and superiors. The man in question sighed, sliding the pipe from his mouth.

"There's a reason you three get the worst missions. New Genin start off with D-rank missions, with little to no amount of risk. Promising or seasoned Genin and low-level Chuunin receive C-ranks with higher risk levels, such as delivery missions. Seasoned Chuunin and new Jounin receive B-ranks, mostly retrieval missions. High-level Jounin and Tokubetsu Jounin receive A-ranked missions, mostly assassinations. Extremely experienced Tokubetsu Jounin and ANBU get the S-ranks, and ANBU Captains and above can take on U-ranks, or unranked missions so dangerous that even the elite of the elite rarely succeed. You aren't qualified to handle more than a D-rank yet, but…"

"I can't take any more of these crappy missions! I want something worthy of a ninja!"

"I can give you three a simple, low-level C-rank mission. You'll be escorting your client to the Land of the Waves."

"YES~! Who is it? A princess? A diplomat? The daimyo?!"

The door clattered open as a nondescript Chuunin ushered in an elderly man with a bad case of potbelly, tanned skin, wrinkles, and muscular arms. Taking a swig from his white porcelain bottle of sake, the man staggered into the room.

"_These _are the brats who're gonna protect _me? _I don't think they can do it—especially the midget over there."

"He's a drunk! At least I'm not the midget, though…that would…"

Naruto looked over to see that Sasuke was around four inches taller than him, while Sakura was about half an inch taller.

"Dammit."

**剽**

Kakashi sighed, throwing his head back to look up at the constellations in the midnight sky. Konoha didn't have streetlamps (ninja had excellent night vision, and civilians didn't wander about much past sundown), so the stars were as clear and crisp as anywhere else in the world. They shimmered like rhinestones set in a deep blue blanket of smooth, warm silk, while the moon shone in a dappled silver orb of soft gray light.

"I wonder if my Genin have bitten off more than they can chew…would you say so, Obito? Would you criticize them for their brashness or congratulate them for their bravery, Minato-sensei? Would you worry, Rin? I'm sorry I won't be able to see you for a while…I'll be in Wave, escorting a bridge builder named Tazuna…I won't deny that I'm worried for the brats, but if they pull this off…still, they're not ready for it, and the last time I took a mission my team wasn't prepared for…I can only hope past experiences prove wrong. Ne, Obito?"

Kakashi looked to the right, to the obsidian memorial stone where the names of his Genin teammates and sensei were carved.

"After all…I don't want to see any more names I know on the KIA list…"

The familiar ache in his chest pushed his hand forward, and the man soon found himself tracing the delicate kanji of Rin's name.

"I will protect them…I swear it."

**剽**

Sasuke unraveled the weapons storage scroll he kept in his closet. It contained the ninja tools that'd been kept in the Uchiha armory, but they'd been sealed and given to him after the massacre. Unsealing kunai, shuriken, ninja wire, and various ninja tools, Sasuke began the process of checking for any flaws, sharpening points and edges, untangling and recoiling wires, and cleaning up inked lines, before packing the tools in his weapons pouch and thigh holster until both were full. Reviewing his inventory, Sasuke sighed.

Fifteen kunai, twenty shuriken, three coils of ninja wire, ten exploding tags, and six smoke bombs. It would be enough to last him through the mission, sure, but if they encountered anything more than a few bandits…he would need to use his runes again. Which he didn't want to do, lest he need to activate them in a battle and draw the attention of his teammates and sensei as well as the enemy.

"Che. Of course things can't be simple."

He could seal several vials of poison in his runes, but no more. The rest he'd hide in his clothes and strap to "invisible" holsters, so named because they hugged the body's form and made it nigh impossible to see the concealed weapons.

As he debated whether to bring the twin tanto swords he'd encountered in the depths of the scroll, Sasuke also mused upon their mission.

Escorting a bridge builder being targeted by bandits across the country didn't seem like much of a challenge, even for a C-rank. The mission, to him, though it was a break from the monotony of chores and menial labor, seemed a little _too _easy. It wasn't his place to question the Hokage's judgment, but…his instincts would be on high alert throughout the journey. Deciding against the tanto in favor of several extra braces of shuriken, Sasuke picked up the whetstone once more. It would be a long night.

**剽**

"I'll see you when I get back, Kaa-san!"

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Sakura bolted out the door, the chain of her kusarigama jingling as she ran. It almost drowned out her mother's goodbye, a faint wish of good fortune and safety. A quiet smile rose to the pinkette's face as she took to the rooftops, the red fabric of her cheongsam rippling in the headwinds that blew her hair into a cerise banner of silk. Her navy _zori _tapped at the terra cotta tiles that composed the roofing predominant in Konoha, and the smile that had already formed widened with exhilaration at the speed with which she travelled.

_Now I know why I chose to become a kunoichi._

Her parents had been against the idea at first, but after Sakura showed them a highly analytical mind and near-perfect chakra control, they'd come around. The Haruno were nothing if not supportive, and Kizashi had taken it upon himself to tutor his daughter in taijutsu and some aspects of genjutsu, resulting in Sakura's status as the year's top kunoichi. Unlike most of the other girls, Sakura didn't care much for her clothes or appearance; instead, by focusing on her training, she was able to learn that she had an aptitude for illusionary techniques due to her fine chakra control and eye for detail.

Which seemed like a blessing, as she zoomed through the skies and nearly hung herself with a stray wire, since she was naturally clumsy and often needed a flare or two of energy to keep from tripping, falling, and/or losing her balance.

Shaking her head slightly to clear it, Sakura leapt lithely from the last roof and landed in a crouch, palms resting on the cool cobblestone path. Standing, she flexed her shoulders again (they always seemed to stiffen over the course of the day) and looked up. The huge village gates loomed before her, the red hiragana standing proud on the whitewashed wood. She grinned again and set down her backpack, settling herself at the base of a sturdy tree on the side of the road to wait.

Soon enough, she was drifting into the world of dreams once more.

**剽**

Sasuke and Naruto arrived half an hour later, within about three minutes of each other. Sasuke got there first, smirking at the sight of his female teammate's seemingly comfortable napping spot. Sakura lay on her right side, curled up like a kitten, bangs fluttering gently with each breath. The movement was blatantly obvious to the vampiric shinobi (who had fed the night before, to ward off any hunger for the duration of the mission. Even so, he was cutting it close—if all went well and they were back at the end of the week, he'd need more blood the day after), and annoyed him to no end.

After a moment of careful deliberation, Sasuke sat down next to Sakura, back to the bark, and slowly extended his hand. His fingers brushed her cheek as he swept her hair away from her face.

Some instinct told him to keep his hand there, stroking soft skin and memorizing her face with his touches. Sasuke didn't know he'd stopped fighting it until he realized that he was, in fact, caressing his teammate's cheek, and that she was unconsciously leaning into his touch.

A muffled curse escaped Sasuke, and he leapt away (careful to avoid disturbing the pinkette) from the scene, choosing to roost on a low-hanging branch above her (after leaving his pack hanging in front of him by one of the straps). Soon after, Naruto arrived in a blaze of orange and gold, excited beyond all measure by the prospect of his first mission outside the village.

The three waited another forty-five minutes for Kakashi and their client, Tazuna, to arrive. In the meantime, Sasuke lowered himself into the meditative state he was so familiar with, Naruto ranted about ramen, and Sakura slept on.

**剽**

Tazuna and Kakashi appeared to a scene of chaos; Sakura screaming at Naruto for waking her up with his ramen rant, Naruto cowering in fear, and Sasuke scowling high in his tree as he attempted to block out Naruto's cries for help. Tazuna shot a disbelieving look at Kakashi, who rubbed the back of his head and closed his eye sheepishly.

"Ma, ma, they're better in the field."

"They'd better be."

"NARUTO~! I'LL PUNCH YOU THROUGH THOSE GATES, CHAAAA~!"

"SASUKE-TEME! HELP MEEE~!"

"Hn. No."

"SASUKE~!"

"BAKA! I'LL WRING YOUR NECK AND DIG YOUR EYES OUT WITH A RUSTY SPORK!"

"TEMEEEEE~!"

"You brought this on yourself, ramen-loving freak of nature."

"OOOOI~! WOULD YOU PLEASE GET HER OFF ME?! KAKASHI-SENSEI~!"

"Sakura, keep your aggression to a minimum."

"NO!"

"OK then. You're on your own, Naruto."

"HEEEY~! KAKASHI-SENSEI, YOU TRAITOR! TEME—"

"No. I will not help you. You deserve it."

"BUT—"

"I. Said. No."

"ITAIIIII~! SAKURA-CHAN, NO NEED TO HIT ME SO HARD~!"

"YOU WERE ASKING FOR IT, BAKA!"

"How do you deal with this, Kakashi?"

"I really don't know, Tazuna…I really don't know."

"…I just met the brats and I'm already sick of them. Please tell me this is just pre-mission anxiety."

"They're always like this."

"…I need more sake."

**剽**

Team Seven strode away from Konoha confidently. Well, Naruto did, tucking his hands behind his head and adopting a stance best described as that of a severely bowlegged dwarf. Sakura was busy examining everything; from the scenery to the flora to the fauna, nothing was safe from her observations. Sasuke had his eyes closed, relying on the footsteps of his comrades to guide him as he meditated. Tazuna kept taking enormous swigs of sake, his huge pack swaying dangerously as he staggered about. Kakashi was the only one who looked remotely normal, humming a jaunty tune to himself as he read from his…_ahem…_"quality" reading material.

"Are you sure you brats are ninja? You look a little short to me."

"URUSAI, BAKA-JIJI~! We're ninja, 'ttebayo! Don't you see the hitai-ate?!"

"The what now?"

"HITAI-ATE! Our forehead protectors! They symbolize the fact that we're recognized as emancipated adults by the village of Konoha, 'ttebayo!"

"…Do you even know what that means, Naruto?"

"No…I heard Iruka-sensei say it. What's your point, Sakura-chan?"

"…Kami save us all. Kakashi-sensei, do you have some sort of antidote to him?"

"Why would you need one, my cute Sakura?"

"Never say that again. And I need one because I don't want to catch his stupidity."

"Good point. Now, my adorable Sakura, we must get to developing the cure to idiocy."

"'MY ADORABLE SAKURA?!' THAT'S JUST AS BAD AS 'MY CUTE SAKURA!'"

"Why would you need a cure for me? I'm confu—WAAAH!"

"BRAT! YOU SPILLED MY SAKE!"

"IT WAS THE ROCK'S FAULT! IT TRIPPED ME!"

"Baka…"

"That's mean, Sakura-chan…"

"Please, never pout again."

Sasuke, deep in a trance, noticed a slight prickling at the back of his neck. Almost as if…they were being watched. He decided to disregard the fact that Uchiha instincts are almost never wrong in favor of Kakashi's carefree attitude.

_Kakashi doesn't seem bothered, but…there's someone there, I'm sure of it! What is this feeling?_

Unbeknownst to the five-some, twin pairs of eyes watched them from the bushes, observing their every movement as uneven breaths rattled through metallic facial masks meant for a country of perpetual rain. A clawed gauntlet moved to a weapons pouch, blades dripping with sinister purple-black poison.

_What is this premonition?_

**剽**

**_~ Tsuzuku ~_**

**A/N: OH MY KAMI! I'm so sorry for the insanely long wait! I had a REALLY BAD, REALLY LONG case of extreme writer's block. I actually struggled getting to my 3000-word-chapter limit…I was about 30 words short and it was driving me crazy. But, this chappie's word count is 3101, thanks to the dialogue between Team Seven and Tazuna. Also, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my four awesomesauce reviewers (two of which are anons) who gave me the inspiration and drive to finish this in FOUR DAYS. You're all awesome! And, to the reviewer who asked if this would be SasuNaru/NaruSasu:**

**I stated in the summary that the main pairing would be SasuSaku (I ship them SO MUCH), and I agree with you—that wouldn't really work out in this particular story. I'm kinda throwing around the idea of a yaoi side pairing, a LOT later, but for now…no yaoi! I mentioned the pairing as a joke in the previous chapter's A/N, but will NOT be including it here. Thanks for bringing that to my attention; I don't want to give anyone the wrong ideas, here!**

**Anyway, the next update will probably be a double update; either 6000+ words or two chapters.**

**Again, I'm sorry this took so long!**

**Sasuke: So you forgot about us? How dare you.**

**KBA: I had writer's block! It wasn't my fault!**

**Itachi: Don't blame her, otouto. This is why you have no luck with women.**

**Sasuke: I told you before, I don't—**

**KBA: Then why were you stroking Sakura's face earlier?**

**Sasuke: …*blushes***

**Itachi: *smirks* Somebody has a crush.**

**KBA: YOU'RE BLUSHING~!**

**Sasuke: *turns away* No I'm not.**

**KBA: Yes you are! And as a special surprise…our next chapter's introducer is…**

**Sakura: *pokes head in* Am I late?**

**Sasuke: …!**

**Itachi: Nope. Introduce, object of my otouto's affections.**

**Sakura: Who's your otouto?**

**Itachi: Sa—mmph!**

**Sasuke: *hand over Itachi's mouth* His otouto is not here. Go on with the intro.**

**Sakura: OK! *voice change* Our young hero's intuition foretells conflicts, but of what kind? Tune in next time for: Attack, Team Seven! The Shinobi Hidden in the Mist!**


	6. Go

**Chapter 5**

Attack, Team Seven! The Shinobi Hidden in the Mist!

**霧**

Wind whistled through the wide, delicate green leaves as Team Seven escorted their client towards his homeland. The winter sun beat at their backs, distant and merciless, a cold brand of white flame in the brilliant blue sky. Fire Country never really experienced winter; temperatures rarely dropped below seventy degrees in the sweltering climate, and it only ever snowed deep in the mountains to the north. As it was, mid-November felt more like mid-July, especially in the humid forests that bordered Konoha and extended to the national borders.

The path to Wave Country, a small island nation with no ninja village of its own (except for the now-destroyed Uzushiogakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Whirlpool), was a well-worn track. Wave Country's economy survived through extensive trade with the mainland nations. They were particularly known for their textiles and excellent workmen. From Tazuna's story, he was spearheading the construction of a bridge across the ocean, to connect Wave Country to the outside world without the use of boats, as was usual custom.

As this was a merchant path, it was expected for bandits to camp in the brush, waiting for caravans to rob. However, Sasuke's senses told him a different story. Alarm bells rang in his head, warning of an impending danger, possibly life-threatening.

And so, though he appeared to meditate, Sasuke extended his chakra-sense to encompass a radius of ten or so feet—the most he could achieve without use of the Byakugan, Sharingan, or vampiric chakra (the first two of which he didn't possess, and the third he feared Kakashi would detect) to anticipate enemy movements.

It still didn't save them when they attacked.

Suddenly, in a particularly quiet part of the forest, twin spiked chains whistled from the undergrowth, wrapping around Kakashi and pinning his arms to his sides with sprays of blood. Sakura let out a short, quiet scream of alarm, Naruto gasped, and Sasuke was thrown from his meditative state when the blunt end of one of the weapons struck the left side of his face, breaking his cheekbone in the process. Still in shock, the now-bleeding boy fell to the side.

_N…no way…they hid their chakra perfectly…_

Then, as the one closest to Kakashi, Sasuke was the victim of yet another cruel twist of fate; the chains tightened, ripping their sensei in half and coating the Uchiha in a layer of blood.

Sasuke inhaled sharply, struggling with the sensory overload of the sheer amount of gore. Kakashi's bloodscent was as pungent and musky as he'd remembered from the Genin test; the last time he'd been injured. His chest tightened, and Sasuke could feel his control beginning to break, his human instincts fighting those of his vampiric self.

Two shinobi leapt from the bushes, charging forward, clawed gauntlets gleaming with poison and ready to slice Naruto, frozen in shock, in half.

Something within Sasuke snapped. He let go of his control, and, fueled by the power of instinct, _moved._

A black blur shot forward, pushing off of the ground, blood spilling from a long gash along the left side of his face, the glimmer of a kunai barely visible in the distortion created by speed. A white line seemed to hang in the air, as well as the ring of metal on metal, as Sasuke braced his legs, skidding to a stop with his head down and kunai in the follow-through of a swing. The first ninja's gauntlet suffered the most damage, losing the points of its claws, while the second lost a prong entirely. Sasuke looked back over his shoulder, marveling at the clarity of his vision. Using it to his advantage, he spotted an opening and took it, leaping between the attackers to split-kick them into conveniently-placed trees on either side of the clearing.

Sakura, who had placed herself between Tazuna and the shinobi at the start of the battle, turned back with an obviously-faked reassuring smile.

"You'll be OK, Tazuna-san. Sasuke's got this."

Tazuna took a moment to wonder at the ninja team's calmness despite the situation.

_They…they just watched their sensei die in front of them…and yet they have the strength to fight, to go on, even to reassure me that I'LL be alright? This…this must be the power of Konoha shinobi._

Naruto's grunt of pain had them all looking up; the blonde had parried both shinobi's claws, but one had managed to get inside his guard and stab him through the back of the hand. For Sasuke, this was nearly the straw that broke the camel's back; his vampiric side, Zian, was going mad with bloodlust within his head, and only years of practice and the iron will of the Uchiha kept the demon from taking complete control of his body.

As it was, the cinnamon-and-spice-laced smell of Naruto's blood on top of the almost-rainwater-and-cool-pine of Kakashi's set Sasuke's instincts aflame. With a growl, he turned to see Sakura, bracing herself as the twins bore down on her, kunai in hand, protecting Tazuna with her body.

Now _that _pissed Sasuke off.

With an almost animalistic roar, the Uchiha launched himself in front of her, slightly-elongated fangs beginning to protrude from his mouth in his fury. Bringing up his own weapon, Sasuke flew between the attacking ninja and his teammate, just in time to block the blow and throw them off balance. Using the instant to his advantage, Sasuke pinned the spiked chains that the two had used to bind and kill Kakashi to a tree, securing the shuriken with a thrown kunai through the central hole.

The chains snapped taut as the ninja hit the end of their slack, and Sasuke put his hands on their shoulders, whipping his legs out and back in a double kick. The shinobi shot forward into yet another tree as the chain broke under the force, sliding down with their back to the thick trunk as Sasuke landed in a kneel, standing up slowly.

**霧**

What scared the shinobi wasn't his fighting ability, or his speed; it was the red gleaming in his eyes, the way the pupils seemed to narrow and elongate until they resembled those of a dragon.

The fangs and the odd rumbling in his chest weren't helping the image either.

Sasuke started to walk towards them, bangs hiding his eyes. They could feel the pressure around him, like a vacuum of energy, sucking naturally-occurring chakra into his system to help maintain his half-gone control over his inner demon.

The shinobi shivered, frightened by the aura of deep-set pain and sadness and _rage _surrounding the young Uchiha.

Then, it stopped.

**霧**

Sasuke's vision was covered in a thick haze of red mist. He could make out figures, shapes, shadows, but no features or details. Suddenly, a hissing voice filled his ears.

**_"Give yourself to me…Sasuke…"_**

****He knew the voice…but why was Zian acting so strangely? They'd gotten to know each other over the past two months (Sasuke allowing Zian access to his senses and, by extension, the outside world, while the demon gave him advice and someone to talk to), after Zian had agreed to leave him alone. So why was he trying to take over again?

Sasuke's chakra flickered, a candle against the bonfire of Zian's might. It was already taking all of his strength to keep the demon at bay. If he attempted to subdue him now…he would run out of chakra and either die or become the human avatar of Zian.

A wolf in sheep's clothing.

Suddenly, a cool wave of blue cut through the sea of crimson, flowing in from the hand resting lightly on his shoulder.

Sasuke was pulled away from the haze, away from Zian, and back into reality.

**霧**

The comfortingly familiar white smoke cleared in a few seconds, revealing Kakashi with his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, squeezing lightly. The Jounin snatched the broken chains, and, with a few deft movements of his hands, bound the defeated shinobi to the tree. He examined them for a moment before turning to Tazuna, letting go of Sasuke in the process.

The young Genin fell to his knees, breathing harshly. Sakura ran over to him, a worried expression on her face, while Naruto scowled. Kakashi closed his eyes.

"Tazuna-san…we need to talk."

**霧**

_Stupid teme. Why does he get all the glory? And more importantly…what happened to me?_

Naruto glowered at Sasuke, cerulean eyes narrowed in dislike.

_Why did I freeze up? Why didn't the teme?_

Grabbing one of his kunai, Naruto positioned the point before the cut on his hand, preparing to bleed out the poison.

"From now on…I will always keep my promises and protect my nakama with my life. This is my nindo, my ninja way."

With the whispered vow, Naruto stabbed himself, reopening the now-scabbed-over cut and spraying purple-red blood everywhere. Kakashi looked up in alarm, eyes widening as he beheld his student's self-harming actions. The silver-haired man relaxed, seeing the method behind the blonde's madness, and smiled gently.

"You know, Naruto, if you leave that kunai in your hand you'll bleed to death."

"EEEEEH~?!"

**霧**

"Sasuke…?"

Sasuke didn't respond, still attempting to catch his breath. His chest rose and fell with feverish speed, and the edges of his vision started to warp and twist and fade to darkness. His struggle with Zian had almost completely exhausted his chakra supply, and without the demon's help he would take a lot longer to recover. As it was, he couldn't breathe. He could feel his muscle starting to spasm in the absence of cooling energy, twitching and tensing until he was shivering uncontrollably. Blood trickled slowly from his cheek, which seemed to pulse with slow, pounding waves of agony. He could tell the bone was shattered; when he tried to move his mouth, he could feel the slivers of hardened marrow burrowing into his facial muscles.

"Just calm down, Sasuke, please…you'll be alright…"

_Sakura sounds worried…why is she worried? I'm fine…_

"You don't sound fine, Sasuke. Don't lie."

_I said that out loud. I must be more fatigued than I thought._

Suddenly, he felt warmth along the right side of his body, and could hear the steady beats of a heart and whooshes of blood. Lean arms circled his shoulders, holding him in place.

Sakura was…hugging him?

A wave of confusion washed Sasuke away, until all he could feel was her warmth, all he could smell was her scent, and all he could hear was her heartbeat.

Over the years, he'd taught his senses to behave like those of a normal human's, using a tiny amount of chakra to power a set of runes designed to limit his sight, hearing, and sense of smell. In the absence of the chakra, drained as he was, the runes lost their power and his senses ran wild.

In short, his brain was overloaded with sensory information, which, on top of severe chakra exhaustion as well as both mental and emotional turmoil, gave him a splitting headache.

It didn't help that he was a vampire, and she was holding him directly over her heart. Sasuke bit his tongue to keep his fangs from sliding out—even though he'd eaten barely a day prior, that much blood that close to his face was…tempting. But Sasuke's mind won out, managing to convince his instincts that _no, you do not eat friends. Or teammates. Or pretty girls who just happen to be hugging you because they don't realize your exhaustion is from holding back a demon that will not hesitate to kill them instead of rescuing them like the ever-fabled Prince Charming or knight in shining armor._

Sasuke winced as his fangs pierced the tip of his tongue, sending a warm trickle of tangy iron down his throat. His own blood always tasted odd to him, like a mixture of olive oil and ripe tomatoes, with a hint of butter,lemon, and metal. Nothing like the donated blood the Hokage smuggled him from the hospital, or the animal blood from the butcher's shop down the street. Still, he imagined the blood of someone he knew, someone who knew about _him, _would taste all the sweeter…

Unconsciously, Sasuke buried his head deeper in Sakura's chest, the right side of her face flat against her rib cage. He was almost completely relaxed, limp in the girl's arms. Soon, his breathing adjusted, calming until it fell into step with hers. Half-closed, glazed-over eyes fluttered shut, and Sasuke succumbed to his exhaustion.

**霧**

Kakashi frowned at Tazuna disapprovingly, watching Sasuke pass out from the corner of his eye as he bandaged Naruto's hand. The man was ice white and shaking, staring at the blood on the ground.

"I…I was hoping they'd send some better ninja…more advanced…"

"That does not excuse the fact that you lied about the mission's rank. You said there were bandits after you. These two are the Demon Brothers of the Mist, A-ranked missing ninja. This mission should have been _at least _a B-rank, if not higher. Why did you underrank the mission?"

"This was all my village could afford. We are poor, especially since a man named Gatou took over. He wants to control the village and its trade, and is against the building of our bridge. To hinder our progress, he's taking all of our jobs, all of our money, everything. As the lead architect of the project, I am his main target—"

"I will report you to Konoha. Either find the funds to finance a higher-rank mission or drop the idea altogether. Team Seven isn't qualified to handle this type of job."

"Fine. Drop the mission. You won't get paid, and I'll get killed. Then the island's economy will collapse, my daughter will be devastated, and my grandson will grow up hating Konoha because of your choice."

"Kakashi-sensei…we gave our word that we would see this mission through. Breaking that agreement now would be breaking my nindo. If you decide to drop the mission, I'll stay with Tazuna-jiji and protect him myself, 'ttebayo!"

"Naruto…"

"I'M NOT GIVING UP, 'TTEBAYO!"

"NARUTO! CALM DOWN!"

Everyone turned towards Sakura, who was panting. Sasuke still lay buried in her arms, breathing evenly, eyelids fluttering slightly. She turned to Kakashi, gently setting Sasuke down so that she could stand.

"We shouldn't abandon the mission, Kakashi-sensei. At this point, it wouldn't be right. Besides, it would look bad to run out in the middle of a job. However…I still can't forgive Tazuna-san for putting my teammates in danger."

Sakura glowered at the old man as she spoke, green eyes seeming to light from within with viridian flames. A heavy weight settled over the clearing as murderous purpose filled the air, spewing forth from both the pinkette and her sensei. Kakashi sighed, and glared at Tazuna. The man was still shaking slightly, nervous because of all the killing intent in the air.

"We will complete this mission, and we will protect you until the bridge is completed. However, if one of these ninja is killed, you _will_ pay compensation or we _will_ come for you. Got it?"

"H-hai, Kakashi-san. Arigato gozaimasu."

"You'd better be thankful. Now, team, let's get going."

Kakashi slapped a transport seal on the unconscious missing ninja, sending them to Anko in Torture and Interrogations in a poof of smoke. Turning back, he smiled gently at the three Genin: Naruto grumbling as he carried a dead-to-the-world Sasuke, complete with a gauze-bandaged cheek, piggyback, and Sakura smiling gently with three backpacks slung over her shoulders.

They were more than a team, already. Sasuke talked more in the past two months than during his entire four years at the Academy, while Sakura's presence soothed Naruto's raging flames to a tolerable point.

However, even Kakashi, half-blind as he was, could see the depth between Sasuke and Sakura. The only reason he could read Sasuke in the first place was because the boy reminded him of himself as a Genin, and he could tell the teen was practically hanging on her every word and gesture (most likely subconsciously). He could also tell that Sakura, for all her non-fangirl apathy, was slowly but surely falling for, not only the boy's looks, but what little of his personality he'd let slip through the cracks in his Uchiha mask.

It was incredibly fun to watch them dance around each other in a sea of social awkwardness.

Kakashi didn't realize he was giggling until Naruto whacked his arm and screamed at him to 'stop being such a perv, 'ttebayo!'

**霧**

The party of five had almost reached the coast when Sasuke stirred, three hours after he went under. Naruto, predictably, dropped the other boy like a red-hot poker, and the Uchiha woke to his head impacting something again. Thanks to the absolutely _amazing _luck that had been favoring him, he landed on his left side, resulting in his broken cheekbone hitting a convenient rock. The gauze stained red as the cut reopened, and Sasuke swore rather violently as the blow jostled the bone splinters that remained in his wound.

Predictably, everyone looked back to see him, rolling on the ground, spewing some rather creative curses on Naruto, his family, his ancestors, his stupidity, and his blondeness. After an interesting one involving his grandmother, primordial ooze, a donkey, several goldfish, a whale, some rather indecent activities, and a spatula, Kakashi decided to intervene.

"Ano…Sasuke, I think you should probably stop now."

"SHUT THE (insert convenient, extremely loud birdcall here) UP, LAZY AS (bird call), ETERNALLY-LATE OLD SON OF A (birdcall) WHO—WHY CAN'T THESE GODDAMN (birdcall) BIRDS SHUT UP?! I WILL (Many birdcalls in extremely quick succession. Maybe they're hungry? Maybe they recognize Sasuke's hair as one of their own? Who knows with Plot-no-Jutsu.)!"

Five minutes later, Sasuke had calmed down somewhat, though he was still homicidally pissed at Naruto, who was making a titanic effort to stay away from him. Sakura had nearly passed out with laughter—as it was, she lay on her back, erratic giggles still spewing forth occasionally at the randomness of it all. Kakashi was giving them all the old 'what-the-hell-are-you-ON' look that Naruto had gotten when he'd suggested they catch Tora for good by training an army of hamsters to act as miniature Konoha shinobi, complete with a ranking system, ANBU, and a Kage. As well as full-sized ninja weapons. Needless to say, that idea hadn't lasted long.

Another, more profound instance of the 'WTHAYO' glance (patent pending!) was when they'd had their first team dinner. Since the night of their first mission, it had become tradition for all four members of Team Seven to get together and go out for dinner. Which was usually at Ichiraku's, since Naruto blatantly refused to eat anything other than ramen. Of course, Sasuke _hated _ramen (from his experiences trying to cook the instant stuff, it was disgustingly laden with salt), so _of course _Naruto had to attempt to force-feed him and _of course _Sasuke had to nearly choke on the sheer amount of noodles stuffed into his mouth at once. Sakura had been nearly catatonic with laughter at the time, actually falling off of her stool and rolling on the ground cackling.

Tazuna shook his head, doubting that an emo with a hot temper, an idiot with absolutely no clue, and a slightly sadistic girl with obviously dyed hair could protect him. He decided right then and there not to listen to any of the kids, and to trust Kakashi and Kakashi alone.

That was his second mistake. The first had been even thinking of writing the three off in the first place.

It was entirely his fault that he was almost sliced in two when Naruto nearly impaled a pure-white rabbit and a huge broadsword came slicing out of the brush. It was only (you guessed it) Kakashi's quick action that had them all ducking to avoid extremely painful and messy bisection via oversized butcher's knife.

That was no exaggeration; the blade itself was at least five feet long and a foot wide, lightened considerably by a huge hole near the point and a semicircle missing from the area near the hilt and cross-guard of plain wood. It was finely crafted, with a keen single edge sharp enough to drive halfway into the thick trunk of a tree on the opposite side of the clearing they'd entered, near the border of Fire Country and Wave Country—a large lake stood behind them, a prequel to the endless ocean only two miles further west.

The leaves of the tree rustled, and a dark shape appeared, standing atop the sword like it was just another irregularly flat, straight, sharp, metallic branch. Team Seven stared, and Sasuke worried.

_I didn't even sense him…who is this guy?_

The man had to be at least six feet tall, with an insanely sculpted upper body visible thanks to lack of shirt. In fact, the only thing that even came _close _to covering that barrel chest was a leather strap that went over both shoulders, before joining under a metal plate and continuing past his left hip. His pants were light blue and baggy, with thin, vertical navy stripes. His arms were covered up to mid-bicep by dark-brown-and-white camouflaged arm warmers, with the matching ones on his legs stopping just below the knee from where they attached to his dark brown _zori_. The man wore a Hidden Mist hitai'ate slanted sideways over his head, like Kakashi's style but without covering his eye. Short, spiky black hair protruded from over it, matching dark brown eyes over a face half-covered with white bandages.

In all, Sasuke thought, he looked like a bigger, bulkier, eviler Kakashi from Kiri. Maybe they were bros?

Naruto glared heatedly at Sasuke as Kakashi stepped forward, speaking calmly.

"Well, well…if it isn't Momochi Zabuza, rouge ninja of Kirigakure no Sato."

The blonde growled, and, decided, charged forward, a snarl on his face. Kakashi stuck out a hand so fast that even Sasuke couldn't track his movements, blocking Naruto. Without looking back, the silver-haired man chided his student.

"You're in the way, Naruto. Get. Back."

"But why?!"

"He's not like those other ninja. He's in a whole other league."

Kakashi reached up, preparing to lift his forehead protector and free his blinded eye.

"If he's our opponent…I'll need to use this…"

The trio let out small sounds of surprise as Kakashi continued.

"This could be treacherous…"

"Sharingan no Kakashi…did I get that right?"

Zabuza asked casually. Sasuke felt himself freeze up.

_So that's what Kakashi's hiding underneath that forehead protector of his…and it's the reason he's called Konoha no Kopi Nin…_

"It's too bad, eh? But you'll have to hand over the old man…"

Zabuza turned his head to observe them over one broad shoulder. Kakashi tensed, lifting the edge of the cloth a little more. There was silence except for the wind in the trees.

From the corner of his eye, Sasuke could see the looks of confusion on Tazuna, Sakura, and Naruto's faces.

_Figures…they've probably never heard of the Sharingan. Its secret wasn't exactly broadcasted for all the world to hear, was it?_

"Now, quick! Manji Formation! Protect the bridge-builder…and stay out of this fight."

"Huh?"

"I taught you teamwork…and now it's time to use it, Sakura."

Zabuza narrowed his eyes as Kakashi pulled up his hitai'ate in a single, swift movement, revealing the severely scarred eye beneath. The lids opened to reveal a brilliant red iris, three comma-like shapes swirling around the pupil.

"I'm ready!"

Everyone stared at him as Zabuza turned all the way around.

"Well…looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action. This is an honor."

Naruto turned towards Kakashi.

"Everyone keeps saying Sharingan, Sharingan! Will someone PLEASE tell me what Sharingan is?!"

It was Sasuke who answered. He made sure to keep his explanation vague; it wouldn't do to expose his family secrets…

"The Sharingan…a rare power that resides in the eyes. The user of this visual jutsu, or doujutsu, can instantly see and comprehend any attack—be it taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu—and reflect it back on their opponent. But there's more…so much more to Sharingan…"

Zabuza chuckled.

"That's right, kiddo. You've barely scratched the surface of Sharingan. It can analyze an opponent technique…"

Kakashi's eye spun even faster, preparing to engage in combat.

"…and copy it down to the smallest of details."

Zabuza's muscles tensed as he plowed on with his dialogue. Sasuke could see that the man was getting impatient.

"As for you, Jounin, in the Assassination Unit of the Hidden Mist, we had a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our Bingo Book. It called you…'The Man Who Copied Over 1000 Jutsu, Kopi Nin no Hatake Kakashi.'"

Sasuke heard fabric rustling as he deactivated his runes, allowing himself full sensory freedom once more.

"Enough talking. I need to exterminate the old man…_now._"

Tazuna's heartbeat sped up drastically. Sasuke could sense his complete and utter state of mental panic, though he showed no outward sign of it.

_He must be hiding it so that WE don't panic ourselves…dammit, old man, it should be the other way around!_

Drawing a kunai, the Uchiha jumped away, to a spot two feet in front of where Tazuna was. Sakura took her position on his right, while Naruto stood on his left. Kakashi remained where he was, Sharingan eye glaring red through the slight haze of mist in the air.

"So, I'll have to eliminate you first, eh Kakashi? So be it."

In a flicker of movement, Zabuza jumped off of his sword, grabbing the handle and pulling the blade out of the tree as he kicked off its trunk to land, perfectly poised, atop the water. Barely a ripple escaped from beneath his feet as he straightened to his full height.

"He's over there!"

"Standing on the water?! What is that jutsu?!"

With the index and middle fingers of each hand straightened in a half-ram seal, Zabuza lowered one hand before his mouth, while the other pointed straight up at the end of a well-muscled arm. Tendrils of clear liquid writhed around him, rising into the air like charmed snakes. The mist swirled as well, in a clockwise fashion centered about his raised hand. When he spoke, his voice seemed even deeper than it had been before.

"Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu!"

With those four words, the mist thickened to an almost suffocating gray veil. Sasuke couldn't even see the silhouette of his own hand before his face, let alone Sakura, Naruto, Tazuna, or Kakashi. Footsteps echoed through his ears as Kakashi (it had to be Kakashi; Zabuza had vanished, and the other three hadn't moved) stepped forward.

"He'll come after me first."

"But, sensei…who is this guy?"

Sakura asked, confusion evident in her tone.

"Momochi Zabuza…the ex-captain of the Kirigakure Assassination Unit. He's a master of the Silent Killing Technique."

"S-silent?"

Naruto stuttered. Sasuke could hear his pulse beginning to increase, and feel a slight shivering of his shoulder beneath the cloth.

"As the name implies, it happens in an instant…without sound or warning of any kind. It's so fast that you pass from this life without even realizing you were killed. Not even the Sharingan can fully neutralize it. So…don't lower your guard."

The three gulped, and Kakashi said, rather nonchalantly,

"Well…if we fail, we only lose our lives."

"HOW THE HELL CAN YOU SAY THAT IN SUCH A CAREFREE WAY, CHAAAA~?!"

Sakura screamed. By now everyone in their little cluster was completely and totally overloaded with nerves, practically waiting to die. Sasuke, however, was the most effected when the Killing Intent hit them.

**"Eight points…"**

"Huh?! Who's there?! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Sakura yelled, bringing her kunai up in front of her face.

**"Larynx…spine…lungs…liver…jugular…subclavian…kidne ys…heart… now, which will be my kill point?"**

The voice listed in sadistic glee. Then, in an explosion of chakra, the mist cleared slightly, revealing Kakashi with hands clasped in the sign of the ram, a classic focus seal. Sasuke, meanwhile, had frozen completely as waves of KI washed over him, most of them from Kakashi himself, aimed for Zabuza.

Suddenly, Kakashi was predator and Sasuke was prey. There was no concept of 'ally' or 'teacher' or 'protector' now—Kakashi would kill him should he move, or even breathe, before he could bat an eyelash. Sasuke's eyes glazed over with fear. He began to hyperventilate, his heart beating much faster than humanly possible. He was staring to lose control of himself all over again, fangs shredding his bottom lip as they burst from red gums.

_What an intense thirst for blood…one shallow breath, one tiny movement of the eye, is enough to bring on instant death. If it goes on like this…I'll go insane…a clash of two Jounin, intent to kill…I've never felt anything so chilling. It's as if my own life is being choked off…no! I can't bear it! I'd rather take my own life!_

Sasuke lifted his kunai, placing both hands on the hilt, and was about to plunge it into his stomach when Kakashi called, in a stern tone,

"Sasuke!"

Just like that, the feeling lifted, along with most of the KI. Sasuke felt himself going weak at the knees with relief.

"Calm down. I'll protect you with my life, all of you. I will not allow my comrades to die."

He half-turned, and with an eye-smile, said,

"Trust me."

Sasuke gave him a small (but genuine) smile, and that was when all hell broke loose.

They say an Uchiha's smile brings bad luck. Well, it did. Again. Sasuke really was his father's son.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

In an instant, Zabuza was between Team Seven and Tazuna, sword prepped to slice through all three Genin at once.

"It's over."

Kakashi turned around, and the Sharingan glowed crimson. In a flash, he flickered over to his students and tackled the missing-nin just as he starting his downswing. The team and their charge scattered, throwing themselves in all different directions to evade the conflict that had come to them. A slow, gushing sound had them all looking over.

Kakashi had impaled Zabuza with a kunai, but instead of blood, water poured out of the wound. The real Zabuza appeared behind him, sword at the ready.

"Sensei, BEHIND YOU!"

"Huh?!"

"Die!"

Zabuza sliced as the water clone dissipated, bisecting Kakashi for the second time in as many hours. Liquid shot everywhere…as the water clone of Kakashi burst into a pool of brine. Zabuza's eyes widened.

_The Suibunshin no Jutsu…it can't be…even in the mist, he saw through my illusion and copied my technique?! So this is your true power…Kopi Nin no Kakashi…_

A kunai flicked out to rest against Zabuza's throat. Kakashi stood behind the man, arm steady.

"Don't move."

Zabuza, who was trapped between Kopi Nin and kunai, glared at the air.

"_Now _it's over."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. That is, until the Curse of Happy Uchiha-ness came through again and Zabuza burst into a puddle of water as the _real _Zabuza came up behind Kakashi, swinging his sword. The silver-haired man dodged the first swipe, before Zabuza twisted and caught him in the ribs with a sandaled foot. Kakashi grunted, flying backwards, as Zabuza ripped his blade from the ground and ran beneath him.

The man skidded to a stop as shards of black metal littered the ground before him.

"Matsubishi spikes, eh? Trying to slow me down, are you, Kakashi…hn. Foolish."

Kakashi landed hard on his right shoulder, sliding ungracefully into the water as Naruto screamed after him,

"SENSEI!"

The now-drenched man surfaced almost instantly, seeming to have trouble getting away from the water. Sasuke's eyes widened as he sensed the sheer amount of chakra in the water. Beside him, Sakura tensed and whispered,

"You sense it too, don't you?"

"Aa. The water…it's infused with chakra. I can't tell how, though…"

"He's from Kiri, right? That's the Land of Water's ninja village; he kinda has to be a water-type."

"Mm."

Suddenly, a huge surge of chakra, centered on Kakashi, rippled through the lake. The silver-haired ninja's eyes widened as Zabuza stuck his hand out and called,

"Suiton: Gokuso no Mizu no Jutsu!"

A huge orb of water formed around Kakashi, trapping him in a bubble of chakra-laden brine. The man swore violently, and Zabuza chuckled, forming a water clone with a single-handed sign.

"Go! You three can't win this. Get Tazuna to safety; leave me behind. I'll be fine!"

Sasuke stiffened. He knew that Zabuza would kill Kakashi as soon as they left, he knew that Kakashi would be helpless in the water prison…and he knew that Zabuza, an S-class missing ninja, was too much for them to handle.

But he couldn't stand the thought of one of his precious people dying again. So, even though he was shaking, even though he was practically frozen solid with ice-cold fear, Sasuke stepped forward.

Sakura would reflect later that his eyes seemed to glow red, his hair seemed a _little _longer than it was a minute before, and his incisors were slightly longer and sharper than they should've been.

"No."

"Dammit, Sasuke! Set aside your damn pride and RUN!"

"No."

"Why?! Save yourself and your teammates! COMPLETE THE MISSION!"

"Because…I don't want to lose anyone again. If I ran now, and left things as they were here…I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Kakashi stared at his student, standing tall before almost certain death. Sasuke's head was bowed, fists clenched as they came up behind his head.

"I will protect those precious to me…that is my nindo…"

Sasuke raised his head as he tightened his forehead protector, the metal plate flashing in the cool sunlight as his eyes narrowed. The red glow had faded, leaving crimson-tinged black streaked with charcoal gray and wine-doused ruby.

"My ninja way!"

A flock of birds came loosed from the trees as Sasuke brought forth every ounce of his chakra to coat his body in tongues of flame. His muscles bulged, showing the chakra networks beneath as overflowing veins, thick and extremely noticeable.

Sliding into the classic 'horseback' stance, Sasuke twisted his torso so that his right shoulder was to the water clone, lifting his hand in the process.

The fire at the tips of his fingers swirled, forming the character across them.

With an extremely uncharacteristic smirk, Sasuke challenged Zabuza confidently.

"Well? What're you waiting for? Come at me!"

**霧**

_Sasuke grins at Zian. The demon smirks back, still channeling himself into Sasuke's body (though keeping a leash on his chakra; he doesn't want to tip Kakashi off that something is wrong)._

_They're lounging on two luxurious couches Sasuke's conjured in the mindscape, before the flat-screen, plasma TV with huge surround-sound speakers that illustrates Sasuke's point of view (in the third person, of course)._

_"I look like a badass. Good one, Zian."_

_"Oi, oi, you're the one who came up with the awesome nindo speech. Seriously, that was GOLD!"_

_"But saying 'come on' with fire? And the whole, 'come-at-me-bro' vibe? I approve."_

_"Jeez, gaki. Who knew you were such a different person in your mind?"_

_"What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"Well…you're a stuck-up bastard in the real world, but actually a pretty good guy in here. What gives?"_

_Sasuke looks down slightly, eyes softening._

_"I don't want to form bonds out there. If I act cold, people will want to stay away from me. This lonely existence is a small price to pay for a life free of pain. I've already lost everything…I don't want to go through that same pain again."_

_Zian stares at him._

_"Sasuke…"_

_"You didn't call me 'gaki'."_

_Zian, realizing his mistake, turns away and huffs._

_"I…I just felt like using your name for once! That's all! Not because you're in need of comfort or anything!"_

_Sasuke just smiles a little, and turns back to watch the goings-on of the world._

_Because now that Zian has taken over control of his body, things are bound to get a little messy._

**霧**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N: OH YEAH! XD I'm pumped! A new, 6000-word-chappie (half of which I wrote in ONE DAY) with an ending cliffhanger…I plan to update with a standard-length chapter by this Sunday (May 5) so I don't leave you guys hanging for too long a time, but still. I'm happy I can even try to do that (I've had track meets every Saturday since the start of the season (in early March…) but I have a week off before league finals and IECs (I don't know what they are either, so please don't ask…)) so…I MUST! It'll be a pain, though; I literally took ALL THE DIALOGUE and ALL THE ACTION (up until Sasuke's nindo speech) from the anime. Basically meaning that I had to rewatch everything and take notes on speech, thought, and action patterns. It. Was. Painful. Anyways, in response to a confused reviewer:**

**This story WILL BE SasuSaku, NaruHina, and possible NejiTen later on. I may try to write a yaoi side-pairing, but this WILL NOT BE A NARUSASU/SASUNARU. **

**I looked back over my little explanation in the author's note last chapter, and I realize I worded things rather ambiguously. I'm glad your review brought it to my attention! Thank you~! :D**

**Itachi: *facepalms* Blade-chan, you really need to clarify yourself.**

**KBA: Says the guy who no one can write because we NEVER KNOW HOW HE THINKS…**

**Itachi: …**

**KBA: Kami, every time I try to write you you're either emo, emo-wannabe, or so OOC with Sasuke it's not even funny. Seriously, just look at the end of the prologue.**

**Itachi: …**

**KBA: SAY SOMETHING! D:**

**Itachi: …**

**KBA: Sasuke~! Make your aniiki speak!**

**Sasuke: No.**

**KBA: *whispers menacingly in Sasuke's ear* Do it, or I'll throw you into a pit of your own fangirls…no, fan****_boys_**** just as you get out of the hot springs. Do you know what they'll do to you if they see you in ONLY a towel?**

**Sasuke …*shivers* You wouldn't dare.**

**KBA: *smirks* Try me.**

**Sasuke: …Itachi, talk. Now. Please. To save your precious little brother from the horrors of…*coughs* ****_dropping the soap _****in front of several hundred rabid teenage males.**

**Itachi: …You'd probably like it, otouto.**

**KBA: HE SPEAKS!**

**Sasuke: HEY~!**

***door creaks open***

***everyone freezes***

**Zabuza: What the hell am I walking in on?**

**KBA: *smiles awkwardly* You heard the wrong part of the conversation, Zabuza-san. Anyway, would you mind doing the intro?**

**Zabuza: *Announcer-Voice-no-Jutsu!* A crazy plan! What on earth is Naruto thinking? Join us next time for: This is My Nindo! The Uchiha Will of Fire Ignites!**

**This chapter's page break is ****_kiri, _****or ****_mist._**


	7. Roku

**Chapter Six**

This is My Nindo! The Uchiha Will of Fire Ignites!

**志**

_"I will protect those precious to me…that is my nindo…my ninja way!"_

Ruby-cobalt eyes shone from beneath black bangs as Sasuke faced down Zabuza's water clone. The giant of a man laughed.

"You're a hundred years too early to defeat me, gaki. My Kubikiribocho will butcher you while your teammates watch helplessly!"

Sasuke (under the control of Zian, mind you) smirked confidently.

"To butcher me…you'll need to catch me."

In a flicker of movement, he disappeared, reappearing behind Zabuza.

"And I don't plan on making it easy for you."

Zabuza growled and swung Kubikiribocho. The huge silver blade crashed into the ground a half-second after Sasuke jumped up, lodging in the earth as the Uchiha heir dropped on top of it. Sasuke landed agilely on the spine of the sword, crouched like a cat about to spring. The muscles in his legs tensed, and he leapt up and away from Zabuza as the man hoisted his weapon once more. Performing a backflip (because he felt like it and because he could) as he soared away, Sasuke landed on his hand and handsprung back to his feet. His chest heaved with urgent breaths as he righted himself, watching his opponent warily as he, too, prepared for another attack.

**_Trust me, gaki. I got this._**

****_Are you sure?_

_**…I am over a thousand years old. If I couldn't beat a youngling such as this, even in this weak form, I would commit seppuku.**_

****_…Go to hell._

_**Already there. Seriously, you should consider growing a couple feet; this body is far too small for all of my magnificence.**_

****_I will kick you when we're done._

_**I love you too, gaki. Now shut up or I'll remove your larynx.**_

****Sasuke closed his eyes, concentrating small amounts of chakra in his feet. Just as he was about to spring forward, a yell sounded from his right.

"Let our sensei go, 'ttebayo~! KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

Everyone looked on in shock as over three hundred copies of Naruto burst into being, in poofs of smoke much like Kakashi's infamous Shunshin technique. They screamed various battle cries as they hurtled towards Zabuza, who smirked and swung his huge sword twice.

All of the copies disintegrated, the damage taken being too much for their feeble forms to handle. Sasuke, who had looked away from Zabuza for a mere second while checking on Naruto's bruised, forehead-protector-less form, was suddenly alerted to the man's presence by the whisper of cloth across skin. A huge hand grabbed his neck, hoisting him up so that he could look Zabuza in the eyes. Needless to say, Sasuke (at five feet tall) ended up a full foot above the ground, with a calloused palm at his throat and fingers meeting at his spinal cord.

Yes, it was painful. And no, Sasuke wasn't a masochist.

**_GAKI!_**

****Zian shouted as threads of invasive chakra leaking from the offending appendage currently suspending the Uchiha broke their connection.

He was alone.

And he was slowly losing access to air.

Sasuke could hold his breath for up to five minutes (ninja had to be prepared for everything, after all), but that was underwater, where the person choking you would have to come up for air sooner or later. This…this was different.

Zabuza's grip on him would asphyxiate him, if it didn't break his neck or crush his windpipe first.

"Urk…"

Sasuke's mouth lolled open as his body tried in vain to inhale, to receive its due supply of oxygen. His vision was already beginning to fade around the edges. He couldn't keep his eyes open. Just as he was about to give in to the reassuring darkness that lurked around him…a huge weight hit the side of Zabuza's face, whipping it to the left and knocking out a tooth. The man swore and dropped Sasuke, who gasped for air and looked over.

Sakura yanked at the chain of her kusarigama, drawing it back through the air towards her. Catching it with a practiced hand, she roared,

"No one hurts my teammates but me, dammit! Now, Naruto!"

Sasuke couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at the side of his mouth as Naruto came forth like a whipped dog, tail utterly between his legs as he beheld the kunoichi.

"H-hai, Sakura-chan!"

Naruto charged again, this time aiming for something at the giant's feet.

_Of course. His hitai'ate. _

Sasuke used the distraction to jump away, landing beside Sakura as he took a knee. Massaging his sore throat, the Uchiha looked up at his teammate, who grinned.

"You seriously thought we'd let you go without a fight? You're more of a bastard than I thought!"

Some part of Sasuke was offended by the stinging back half of the statement, but the majority was mostly rather touched by the sentiment behind it. The sentiment soon faded into annoyance, however.

_They're not going to like it when I leave them behind to kill my brother._

_**You're an idiot, you know that?**_

****_Shut up, Zian. Wait, you're back._

_**Yeah. Hi. Now get back out there! Don't let blondie show us up, dattebayo~!**_

****_Never. Again._

_**Yeah…that didn't really work, did it? Charge!**_

****Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes at the demon's antics and channeled a little chakra into his throat (to soothe the burning pain that was beginning to set in from having it crushed in the first place) before meeting Naruto's eyes as the blonde was thrown back through the air, the clones he'd made bursting. The blonde dug around in his backpack, shouting,

"Sasuke, CATCH!"

A black object flow through the air, and Sasuke caught it reflexively by the central ring. He didn't stop to admire Naruto's handiwork, though; with a flick of his wrist, Sasuke opened the shuriken like a folding fan, long, curved blades clicking into place as he announced,

"Demon Shuriken: Windmill of Shadows!"

Sasuke crouched (to get more force out of his muscles) and sprung high into the air with a chakra-fueled leap. Twisting, he used his body's kinetic energy to spin the immense shuriken (for Kami's sake, one of its blades was two feet long!) from his hand, giving it another flick just as the weapon left home. With a whistling hiss, the shuriken sliced through the air, aiming for Zabuza's real body but cutting through the clone in the process.

Zabuza jumped, keeping his hand in the water prison, avoiding the deadly blades only for another whoosh. Everyone looked up in shock as a second shuriken whirred towards Zabuza, who leaned to the side. And then one of the two shuriken turned into Naruto.

Sasuke and the copy Naruto shared a smirk as the original threw a handful of kunai at Zabuza, forcing him to break the jutsu holding Kakashi hostage in order to deflect them. Snarling, the man caught the other shuriken and, using it like a set of metal claws, slashed down at the blonde's falling form. A clang of metal and a cascade of sparks later, Naruto hit the water with Kakashi standing over him, the steel backing of his gloves blocking the shuriken's folded blades. He glared out at the other man from beneath soaked bangs, his Sharingan eye glowing menacingly in the shadows striping his face. The Hatake's arm was shaking, and small droplets of blood were beginning to spill out, but his voice remained firm, a wolf's husky growl of rage.

"I'll tell you as many times as it takes to sink in, Momochi."

Kakashi pushed up with his hand, flinging the shuriken back to Sasuke as he stepped back. Naruto, sensing the mood, jumped back to Tazuna, rejoining his teammates.

"I will protect my team…with my life."

Zabuza smirked beneath the bandages, creating an interesting pattern of rippling shadows across the lower half of his face.

"We'll see about that, Hatake Kakashi."

**志**

Both ninja, seeming to obey an invisible signal, jumped back and away from both each other and the shoreline, settling about twenty feet out and ten feet from each other.

Then, the hand signs began.

The four on the shore watched in awe at the speed with which both Zabuza and Kakashi moved their hands, weaving seals of power and focus. They performed the signs simultaneously, so perfectly that it almost looked like they were reading each other's minds.

"Ushi, Saru, Usagi, Nezumi, Ino, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Tori, Nezumi, Tora, Inu, Tora, Hebi, Ushi, Osuhitsuji, Hebi, Ino, Osuhitsuji, Nezumi, Yang-Sui, Saru, Tori, Tatsu, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Osuhitsuji, Tora, Hebi, Nezumi, Saru, Usagi, Ino, Tatsu, Osuhitsuji, Nezumi, Ushi, Saru, Tori, Yang-Sui, Nezumi, Ino, Tori! Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

The water beneath the two S-class ninja writhed as twin dragons, snake-like with glowing golden eyes and dripping horns, burst from the lake, twining in a helix before slamming into one another in an effort to reach the enemy. Zabuza's eyes narrowed, and both dragons roared one final time before dissipating into nothing.

"You're thinking I can read your mind, aren't you?"

"Hatake…you—"

"—couldn't possibly copy a jutsu that fast? I didn't. I saw your intent before you attacked and countered appropriately."

"A thousand—"

"—curses on me? My, my, Zabuza, you're especially vehement today. Shall I tell you what else this eye of mine can do?"

"It can't possibly—"

"—do anything else? Wrong again, Zabuza. This Sharingan…can see the future. And your future is death."

Kakashi used another series of hand signs, which Zabuza began a mere second too late.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!"

A huge swirl of liquid formed behind Kakashi, dwarfing him in size. He pushed his hands forward, the water following his movements, and towards Zabuza, who roared in outrage.

"YOU DARE TO USE MY OWN JUTSU AGAINST ME?!"

The last half of his sentence was garbled; the whirlpool had reached him and swept him into the lake as the clearing flooded. Sasuke raised his arms in a cross-block before his face as the waves reached them, threatening to sweep them off their feet. Naruto took the brunt of the blow, driven back into Sasuke by the force of the water. Sakura let out a small scream of shock as her cheongsam was soaked, clinging to her like a second skin. Tazuna yelled as he fell backwards, landing with a splash in a knee-deep puddle.

Zabuza, however, was thrown into a tree, pinned there by the force of the jutsu. Kakashi released the last of his chakra, stepping forward with a kunai in hand to finish the battle and end the missing ninja's life. Suddenly, the branches above the man rustled and a trio of black streaks soared from the brush.

Zabuza fell forward with three expertly-placed senbon embedded in the back of his neck. Kakashi knelt down, checking for a pulse.

"I…he's dead…"

Sasuke's eyes widened.

_I…I can't believe it…he puts up such a fight and goes down because of a few needles? Something isn't right here…_

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Kakashi-san."

An unfamiliar voice sounded from the tree, and a young figure, probably about the genin's age, leapt down to land with the grace of a heron. Sasuke couldn't tell gender; the voice was rather feminine, but with a husky undertone, the hair was long (but that alone didn't prove anything), and the clothes didn't show anything to help with gender identification. He eventually decided to just go with female.

She had long, black hair in a white bun holder with chin length bangs bound with silver. A white mask with slit eyes and red swirls covered her face, the Kirigakure emblem etched proudly into the pristine porcelain. She wore Kirigakure's standard pinstriped outfit, which stopped at her knees. She also had a green haori with white trim and a fringed brown sash wrapped twice around her thin waist. Brown platoon sandals adorned her feet, and her finger and toenails were painted green-blue in color.

"Who are you?"

"I am one of Kirigakure's hunter-nin. This man was my target. I thank you for your assistance in taking him down. I'll be taking his body back to Kiri for jutsu analysis. Good day."

"Oi, oi, matte, 'ttebayo!"

The girl leapt down, hoisting the fallen man over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Then, she jumped back into the trees, soaring away in a matter of seconds and leaving four dumbfounded people and a Jounin sensei, who said, rather feebly,

"Well…that went well…"

And fainted. Thankfully, Naruto and Sasuke were fast enough to catch the man and save him from breaking his face. Sakura rushed over as Tazuna picked himself up rather gingerly and her teammates laid their sensei down. Her hands glowed with a basic medical ninjutsu, one used for diagnosing injuries and healing minor cuts and bruises. The green light glittered deep in her eyes, turning them into perfectly spherical pearls of jade wisdom. Sasuke looked up from his study of Kakashi's face, or, more accurately, his scarred eye. Sakura sighed.

"Chakra exhaustion. I guess the Sharingan's power comes with a price."

"The price is higher than you'd imagine."

She looked at him rather quizzically, hands still glowing green.

"How do you know so much about the Sharingan? I mean, we never learned about it in the Academy and I'm pretty sure you can't find much information on doujutsu outside of school—"

"The Sharingan, along with the Blaze Release and Scorch Release styles of ninjutsu and Lion style of taijutsu, is the Kekkai Genkai of the Uchiha Clan. It's incredibly rare, and is only activated in the eyes of an Uchiha by extreme emotion. But it always activates in both eyes, and I've never heard of an Uchiha with silver hair…"

"What happened to the Uchiha Clan, anyway?"

Naruto broke into the conversation from the other side of the clearing. Sasuke looked down, struggling with himself.

_Should I tell them? They'll pity me, and pity is a hindrance…but I can't hide it…what do I do?_

_**Follow your heart, gaki. They're your teammates; tell them when you're most comfortable.**_

****"I…Tch…"

**_Way to make it awkward, gaki._**

****_Shut up, you._

Sasuke jerked his head to the side, eyes closed, speaking with a sneer.

"I'd rather not, thanks."

Sakura jerked back from him as if stung, sensing the new hostility in the air. Sasuke didn't know why, but her reaction almost…hurt? He scowled; his emotional walls were back in commission, and he wasn't letting anyone through without a fight, dammit!

Sakura looked down, saying softly,

"Of course. I don't blame you."

"But what—"

"He'll tell us when he feels it's time, Naruto. Don't pester him about it."

He hated this; the pity, the care, the feeling that she was trying to prevent his emotional pain. Sasuke had lived in a cursed reality for five long years; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring back the illusion of a perfect world, where love was returned and bonds were never broken. The genjutsu of his first eight years was shattered, along with the mirage of a brother he thought he'd known, by katana blade and kunai point. It had started to crack when he was seven—a year before the massacre—and he'd been attacked by a mononoke on his way home from the Academy. How a rogue had been allowed into the village, he didn't know; all he could recall from that day was the immense pain as his throat was ripped open by sharpened teeth of seething pestilence.

Though how she knew of the massacre was beyond him…adult civilians and shinobi alike knew of the event, but Sakura had been eight at the time. Her parents, civilians, wouldn't have told her…right? The only people in their age group (aside from her, of course) who knew were the clan heirs, who had a right to know…Naruto was living proof of that. His best guess was that she'd sensed something was wrong and investigated…

Then again, she'd always been curious.

Sasuke sighed inwardly, biting the inside of his lip to refrain from acting on his sudden urge to apologize. Zian laughed within the confines of his mind, the booms of sound like rapid, irregular gong strikes that rose and fell in pitch and volume.

"Wait…ano, Sasuke? Naruto?"

"Yeah, Sakura-chan?"

"…How're we gonna get Kakashi-sensei to Tazuna's house? 'Cuz he's kinda not gonna wake up anytime soon…"

Tazuna sighed.

"We're not too far away from it anyway. Come on; it's this way."

Sasuke threw his pack at Naruto, who caught it with a curse. The Uchiha silently deactivated his strength inhibitor (the runes had reactivated after Zian's control withdrew when Kakashi was freed), picking the Jounin up and throwing him over his shoulder. He made sure to tense his muscles (so it looked like he was struggling with the weight) and gradually deepen his breathing.

And so, Team Seven followed Tazuna from the clearing and into the woods, on their way to their final destination.

**志**

"Alright, set him down in here…are you sure you'll be OK? You don't look so good…"

"It's…hah…fine…ugh…"

Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, frowned worriedly at Sasuke. He'd re-engaged the strength-limiters (as he wasn't acting tired enough) and promptly died of immense stress on his muscles. Lugging a hundred-forty-pound Jounin through the woods and up two flight of stairs was no picnic.

_Ugh…I'm gonna feel this in the morning._

Sasuke dumped (quite literally) Kakashi on the futon Tsunami had provided, stopping to half-heartedly pull the blankets over the man's body. The rest, he theorized, they could deal with later. Stumbling slightly down the stairs (the aches were already kicking in, and he couldn't activate his healing runes for fear of revealing himself. They'd heal by midmorning the next day), Sasuke limped into the kitchen, sliding into one of the heavy wooden chairs situated around the rectangular dining table. Naruto snickered.

"Keheheheheh…teme's _sooooore!"_

"Shut. Up. Naruto."

The blonde's eyes widened. Sasuke _never _called him by his real name. Like, _ever. _He looked over to see a full-blown Uchiha glare, nothing like the watered-down versions he'd been subject to over the past several months of antagonizing the teen.

Sasuke's eyes seemed to shift to a dull red, pupils contracting into a wolf-like stare. His eyes widened slightly before narrowing as a soundless snarl curved the Uchiha's mouth, showing sharper-than-normal canine teeth. Gleaming eyes shone sinisterly with killer's intent, and Sasuke stared Naruto down.

The blonde shivered as a powerful wave of KI washed over him, feral and uncontrollable. Then, he grinned. Nervously.

"Heh…nice teme…"

Sasuke snapped and lunged over the table for Naruto, grabbing him by the throat and flipping the table over as they crashed to the floor. Naruto was busy hitting Sasuke with a broken piece of chair, while Sasuke growled and snarled like an angry tiger.

"DOWN, TEME! DOWN! _BAD TEME!"_

Sakura, Tsunami, and Tazuna sweatdropped at the sight. The pink-haired kunoichi sighed and looked over to the older woman, whose dark brown hair was bound in a ponytail. Tsunami was fiddling with the straps of her white apron, tightening them around her waist.

"Can I help cook dinner? After I break these two apart, of course."

"Sure! I'd be happy for your help!"

The two shared a smile before Tsunami walked back into the kitchen and Sakura looked back to her teammates. Unsealing her kusarigama (which had previously been stored in a sealing paper in her weapons pouch, courtesy of her father), Sakura used the chain weight to wrap around Sasuke, pulling him away from Naruto with a flick of the wrist, while throwing the scythe at Naruto, hitting him in the stomach with the blunt end (where the blade attached to the handle). The blonde grunted and rolled back, colliding with the wall, as the ravenette was chucked across the room bound in heavy chains.

"I cannot BELIEVE you two! Kakashi-sensei is out of commission, we're on a mission of AT LEAST A-rank, and you're bickering like small children! Sasuke, I expected more out of you. You're the heir to the (random convenient pan-drop from kitchen) Uchiha Clan, for Kami's sake! (Pan-drop) Uchiha! You mother(pan-drop) (another pan-drop)! My Kami! And as for YOU, Naruto, you (pan-drop) son of a (pan-drop)…you should know better than to goad Sasuke! Kami-sama save me from these (pan-drop. Clumsy Tsunami, you should really hold on to your kitchenware!)!"

Sakura panted, out of breath from her rant. Sasuke, Naruto, Tazuna, and Tsunami (who'd poked her head out the kitchen door to watch) stared in amazement. She had some serious lung power! Sasuke, still tangled in the kusarigama's chains, flexed his fingers to return feeling to them; the bindings were steadily tightening, and he really couldn't breathe. Like, _at all._

"S-sakura…"

"Hm?"

"Chains."

"Oh. Right. Sorry. Kinda forgot."

Sasuke bristled as he was released and Sakura resealed her weapon to return to the kitchen. Meanwhile, he, Naruto, and Tazuna righted the table, sat down, and began to plot, using Naruto's prank skills, Sasuke's intellect, and Tazuna's experience to draft a plan.

It would be risky, but if Team Seven pulled it off…it would save Wave Country.

**志**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N: Dear Kami. I hate myself right now; there I was, saying, "Oh, I'll update on the 5****th**** of May!" and here I am, several weeks late, without a double chapter to make things right again. However, life has interfered once more; track meets, soliloquys (curse you Queen Mab speech!), T-shirts, end-of-year projects, grades, a new kitten…seriously. Add to that a huge case of writer's block and you have KBA for the past three or so weeks! But, you all have one person to thank for this chapter: my best friend, fellow writer, and inspiration EmoOtakuTDCT.**

**TDCT-chan has been there since the planning phases of Blood Moon Saga (literally; she was (and still is!) my idea soundboard for different plot twists/events), and adds her critiques to my ideas for new chapters. Without her, this story would suck a lot more than it does (or doesn't; I really don't know anymore). But anyway; she's an amazing friend, writer, artist, and person, and I really couldn't have done it without her. So, if/when you read this, TDCT-chan…you're freaking Itachilicious. Keep being yourself ('cuz awesome has long since ceased to describe you)!**

**Itachi: Itachilicious?**

**KBA: Adjective. 1. Comparable to the level of awesome possessed by one Uchiha Itachi. 2. Sharing qualities or traits with Uchiha Itachi. 3. Being so badass one dies not once but ****_twice _****in a self-sacrificing manner for one's errant younger brother.**

**Sasuke: HEY~!**

**KBA: What? It's true.**

**Sasuke: But in the newest chapter of the manga—MPH!**

**Itachi: *covering Sasuke's mouth* Hush, child. No spoilers.**

**Sasuke: Mmmhmmmphphmmhmhmhmhnn!**

**KBA:…what?**

**Itachi: He's asking who's doing the intro to the next chapter.**

**KBA: Ohhh…well, YOU CAN COME IN NOW~!**

**Voice from Outside: Oh…o-okay…**

***door opens***

**Sasuke: Mhmhmhmhnnmphhmhmhmn!**

**KBA: Translation?**

**Itachi: He says it's, quote, 'the Hyuuga chick from my Academy class,' unquote.**

**Hinata:…H-hello…**

**KBA: *smiles* Alright, take it away, Hinata-chan!**

**Hinata: Oh…my…*Announcer-Voice-Style: Stuttering-no-Jutsu!* O-our young h-h-hero forms a p-plan…but will K-k-kak-kashi-sensei wake up in t-t-time? J-join us n-n-next time for: H-hope Long L-lost! T-team Seven, M-meet Inari! *turns red and faints; Itachi catches her***

**KBA: Oh, dear…at least she made it through the intro…but I have two more surprises in store for you guys.**

**Itachi: *removes hand from Sasuke's mouth* Oh? And what would they be?**

**KBA: The first…is the inclusion of short ****_omake _****after the page break notes at the end of each chapter, starting next time!**

**Itachi and Sasuke: *look at each other***

**KBA: *whispers* Act. Surprised!**

**Itachi and Sasuke: *overly dramatic gasps of delight***

**KBA: The second…is the arrival of EmoOtakuTDCT in our Author's Notes dialogues from next chapter on!**

**Itachi and Sasuke: *more gasping; Sasuke fake-swoons and falls down, hitting his head***

**Sasuke: ITAI~!**

**Itachi: What was that for?**

**Sasuke: You were supposed to catch me, you (random birdcall from outside) OH GOD NOT THE (birdcall) BIRDS AGAIN~!**

**Itachi: Never underestimate the power of Authoress Style: Plot no Jutsu.**

**KBA: Hear, hear!**

**This chapter's page break is ****_zhi, _****or ****_will._**


	8. Shichi

**Chapter Seven**

Hope Long Lost! Team Seven, Meet Inari!

**強**

"Has he even _begun _to wake up yet?"

"For the last time, Naruto, _no. _Kakashi-sensei is out cold; he'll stay that way for at least another day, if not longer."

"But it's been _three days!"_

Sakura sighed and looked over. It was Sasuke's turn to accompany Tazuna to the bridge; he and Naruto were switching off between guarding Tazuna and keeping watch over Kakashi (she was always with him; as the team's medic she had to be). He was still unconscious; his body was slowly replenishing his chakra, and wouldn't let him wake until it was 'full' again. Normally the process only took a maximum of a day, but Sakura had no access to the drugs traditionally used by medic nin, so they'd need to wait until it occurred naturally. She set the back of her hand against his forehead; thankfully, the fever that'd been manifesting was almost gone.

Naruto whined until he finally figured out that no, Sakura wasn't listening, and no, she didn't care. He left in a huff, off to train behind the house so that he could "beat up Sasuke-teme" when the time came.

Sakura smiled; sure, Naruto was stronger than Sasuke in terms of brute force, but Sasuke was faster and had a slightly quicker reaction time; it would be hard to tell who won in a duel between them. Besides, she didn't want to play favorites. However, she couldn't help but remember when they fought Zabuza…Sasuke and Naruto, when they worked together, made an unstoppable team.

She'd just have to figure out how to get them to cooperate more often, and insert herself somewhere into the equation…and Team Seven would be complete.

But for now, she'd settle for watching over the still-unconscious sensei. It was to be expected, of course; not that she'd tell Naruto, but she'd hoped he'd wake up that morning. The man was late for everything else; why should this be any different?

**強**

Sasuke yawned, eyes half-closing before he forced them open once more. This was the second day since they'd arrived in Wave, and his second day of functioning without his normal level of chakra. Even Zian was tired, and the runic limiters weren't helping. If he'd deactivated them, his chakra would regenerate at twice normal speed, but he couldn't risk Sakura's suspicion.

Why only Sakura? All of Wave's citizens were civilian (and didn't know the difference between a kunai and a senbon, for the record), Kakashi was unconscious, and Naruto was a complete idiot.

Seriously, he saw all the pieces but couldn't put them together to save his life.

Sasuke was perched atop the arm of a broken-down crane, keeping watch over the construction of the bridge. He felt like a true shinobi this way; seen and yet unseen, there and not, invisible to the world around him, simply a patron of the play of life. Below him, he could see one of Tazuna's workers quit out of fear of Gatou, the businessman who'd taken the island over to hide his dealings in drug smuggling and the black market. Sighing, he turned his attention inward, towards Zian.

They still couldn't identify what had caused the 'meltdown' (as Zian was now calling his loss of control), but in the meantime, things were relatively back to normal. Aside from the fact that they'd been away from Konoha for about five days and Sasuke would need to feed soon, of course.

_Zian? You there?_

**_Of course I am, gaki. I'm ALWAYS 'there'. I live in your head, for Kami's sake!_**

_Good point. Anyways, what are we gonna do about blood? Is it safe to forgo it until we can get back to Konoha?_

**_Sure it's safe, if you don't mind gouging out someone's innards the moment you catch a whiff! You can't go without blood any longer than nine days, gaki, and even that's a stretch. I'd say feed now, while Bakakashi is still in la-la land. That'll hold you for another week, and you'll be back in Leaf before you need to feed again. Simple and elegant._**

_You're gonna need to answer the question; what happens if I go too long without blood?_

**_Your body will force itself into transformation and drain the nearest source. It's called a kikatsu, and it's not pleasant for either the vampire or the victim. I'd say your threshold is around ten days, as that's when your body begins to go into blood starvation._**

_Hn._

**_Don't grunt at me, gaki! I'm stuck in here too, ya know!_**

_You never told me what you were, by the way. Why are you even here?!_

**_You think I wanted to be? And as from WHO I am (not what; do I look like an animal to you?!)…hmmm, I don't think I'll tell you yet. Figure it out yourself._**

_Fine._

Sasuke half-opened his eyes, about to sever the connection, when Zian stopped him.

**_GAKI! WAIT!_**

_What is it now, Zian?!_

**_I've been sweeping the surrounding area with my chakra periodically; ya know, like a sensory-type would. Anyway, I just finished another one, and a HUGE flare of chakra came back to me. It had to be at LEAST A-ranked Jounin, maybe even bigger. _**

_WHAT?! Distance? Direction?_

**_I'd say it's on the shore of the mainland, which is about a mile and a half to the west. And it gets worse…_**

_I don't think I wanna know, but tell me anyway._

**_…It's Zabuza. He's alive, gaki._**

_…Well, shit._

Sasuke opened his eyes fast, leaping down from the crane in a graceful swoop of navy and black. He strode up to Tazuna, grabbing his wrist without warning. The old man turned to look at him, annoyed.

"What is it, duck-butt?! Can't you see I'm working?!"

"We need to leave. Now."

Tazuna stopped short and made eye contact with the boy. Normally he would snap if and when the old man used the nickname, but now…his expression was apathetic (as per usual), but his eyes betrayed hints of worry. The man sighed, and called out to his crew.

"Good work today, boys! Break, and we'll meet again at eight tomorrow!"

"HAI~!"

Tazuna nodded as Sasuke dragged him away, barely pausing to let him fetch his belongings. They half-sprinted (at least for Tazuna; for Sasuke it was a light jog) through the streets, weaving between buildings and people dressed in graying rags. All the while, the elderly bridge builder was screaming at the ninja (which made quite the sight for the denizens of Wave).

"WHAT THE HELL, UCHIHA?! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?!"

"You'll see."

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

"No."

"YOU'RE RUNNING TOO FAST, DAMMIT!"

"If you have enough breath to talk, we're not going fast enough. Speed up."

"LIKE HELL I—UWAHH!"

The denizens of Wave were treated to yet another interesting spectacle; a thirteen-year-old ninja boy sprinting through the streets, dragging (literally) an old man who looked like a cross between the Sandaime of the Leaf and the sensei of an old seinin anime.

All the while, a myriad of thoughts raced through Sasuke's head.

_What if I'm too late to save them? What if Zabuza goes after them? What if they're already…no. I can't think like that. They'll be fine. They'll be fine. They'll be fine. Naruto and Kakashi will be fine. Sakura will be fine. _

Somehow, they didn't reassure him in the slightest.

**強**

The front door of Tsunami's home burst open, followed by the clattering of sandals on wooden floors and a lot of cursing muffled by the walls. Sakura looked up and smiled, shaking Naruto awake as Tsunami trotted down the hall to greet her father and his escort.

"They're home, Naruto. Wake up."

Below them, she could hear Tsunami asking why Tazuna was home so early. His reply was unintelligible, since a panting Sasuke tumbled into the room at that exact moment, clutching at the doorframe for some semblance of support. Sakura stood, worry beginning to worm its way into her heart.

"Sasuke? What is it? What's wrong?!"

The look in Sasuke's eyes…it was akin to that of a hunted animal, panicked and lost.

The words that spilled from him a half-second later did nothing to assuage her.

"He…he's still alive…"

"Who?!"

Sakura didn't think she'd like the answer.

"Zabuza."

Naruto, still half asleep, bolted upright and crashed into the wall. Sakura looked at the unconscious Kakashi, panicking Sasuke, and wounded Naruto, and said exactly what everyone was thinking.

"Well…shit."

**強**

They were gathered around the kitchen table; Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke, with a heaping plate of onigiri between them. Piercing green eyes locked onto Sasuke's, and he found himself wondering if the Haruno clan possessed some long-lost doujutsu because _damn _was that an intense stare.

"Sasuke, how do you know that Zabuza is still alive?"

She was all business, he reflected, when there was no one else to take charge. Naruto, on the other hand…well, it was only Sakura's hand on his shoulder that kept him from leaping up and viciously interrogating Sasuke.

But there was another, more important matter at hand. How to explain how he'd sensed Zabuza from a distance most sensory-types couldn't hope to span _without _giving away the fact that he was a schizophrenic vampire (or so it seemed; he didn't know _who _Zian was, but for now he'd go with another personality) in a clear, concise, I'm-totally-not-lying fashion.

There was always…yes, he'd go with that.

"Sasuke? You listening? Don't zone out on me now!"

"Hn. It makes sense if you think about it. We covered hunter-nin in the Academy; they destroy their targets on-sight, and it shouldn't matter if we had to see it. Then there's the weapons…do you really think a guy like that, who can go toe-to-toe with Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan and give him a run for his money, would be taken down by two tiny senbon to the neck? Then, if the hunter-nin was there as long as I think she was, she should've stepped in and brought the fight to an end faster by helping Kakashi, which she didn't. So, it seems logical to say that Zabuza is alive, that he has a highly skilled accomplice, and that both were hired by Gatou."

Some point during his logical explanation, Naruto's jaw had dropped open and Sakura's hand had slipped from his shoulder. Not that he needed the restraint; he had been stunned into silence, a feat rarely accomplished with anyone (least of all the loudmouthed blonde ninja prankster of imminent and terrible doom). Coincidentally, he was the first to speak, albeit in a rather faint tone.

"So…what do we do? Kakashi-sensei's still out of it (probably dreaming of those stupid orange books of his), and there're only three of us."

"Sakura…you're good at strategy, ne? And you know our strengths already…it's up to you."

"Thanks for the show of faith, Sasuke. Alright, Naruto; clones are your specialty, so I'll need you to set up a perimeter around the house. The more the better, but don't exhaust yourself. Sasuke; you're good at seals, so you should expand the perimeter with the most elaborate, fastest-triggering traps you know. I'll be in here, prepping my med kit with the herbs Tsunami and I found earlier, as well as making fresh soldier pills if I have the time. Report back to me when you're done."

"Hai, Sakura-chan!"

"Aa."

"Oh, and Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Before I forget, make sure the traps are one-way, so we don't get caught in them if we have to get out of here fast."

"Aa."

"Alright. Team Seven, scatter!"

Naruto and Sasuke strode out the front door, while Sakura fished out her medical pouch and started sorting the aforementioned herbs into different groups based on their properties.

**強**

Standing on the front porch, Naruto quickly made a simple hand sign.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

About fifty clones came to life in puffs of white smoke. The blonde quieted the others with a rather loud shout.

"OI~! I need all of you to form a perimeter around this place!"

"Hai, boss!"

With a collective reply the clones scattered, hiding themselves among the long grasses and trees. Naruto grinned to himself as he watched Sasuke stride into the forest, a brush and several scrolls in one hand and a pot of ink in the other.

_Your move teme…let's see whose perimeter is more effective! Heh, this is one contest I can't lose!_

**強**

Sasuke, sensing that he was being watched, turned sharply to the right, scanning the bushes for any sign of movement. There were no chakra signatures in the area except for the ambient ones of plant and animal life. Shrugging, he turned back to his work, finishing another runic tag before moving on.

The trap he was crafting was the most advanced he'd been taught (and, as a runic Uchiha, he'd been taught quite a few), and required all ten of the tags to be pulled off at once to prevent an explosion. Sound familiar? The principle was used a lot in trap and barrier ninjutsu, but what made the _obliquatur semitas angelus mortis _unique was its construction. The rune could be 'taught' to recognize different chakra signatures and 'code' them into a loophole in the trap system. Anything else would be caught in the construct.

Sasuke's array extended fifty meters from the house; to the edge of the woods in front and dock's end out back. The complexity of the design allowed for no errors; time seemed to melt away as, one by one, the lines shifting and curling beneath his brush as each aspect of the trap took shape. A tag for entrapment, a tag for poison, a tag for metal, a tag for fire, a tag for water, a tag for lightning, a tag for wind, a tag for earth, a tag for heaven, and a tag for hell, all took form in paper and ink, ready to wreak absolute havoc on any intruder. They were designed to activate one by one, yet work together; a truly ingenious innovation by the clan's rune master, Torashiro. Of course, before he'd been found deconstructed in his own stewpot, victim of a scorned wife whom he'd cheated on the week before.

Sasuke had learned a very valuable lesson that day; never screw with women and their emotions. You will end up dead, especially if said woman works in the Torture and Interrogations Department. Or if said woman has a dango fetish and goes by the name Anko.

**強**

It was late in the day when Kakashi awoke, looking for his students to inform them of Zabuza's extreme lack of death. Of course, once they'd explained things to him, he calmed down about it and, with Sakura's help, descended the stairs for dinner, with quite a few suspicious little glances at Sasuke.

There was something the duck-butt Genin wasn't telling him, and he would get to the bottom of it.

**強**

Dinner came and went in a flourish of conversation, with Team Seven discussing mission parameters with Tazuna. Suddenly, halfway through Sasuke's third explanation of his logic in deducing Zabuza's survival, the kitchen door burst open. Tsunami took one look at the figure standing there and sighed.

"Dear Kami, not now…"

A rather squeaky voice issued from the small shade, who revealed himself to be a boy small in stature wearing a white and navy striped fisherman's, hat, yellow high-collared shirt, and ragged green overalls. His dark eyes stared at them from beneath the hat's brim and spiky black hair.

"Are you the ninja protecting my grandfather?"

Naruto answered.

"Yeah. Who are you?"

The boy ignored him, instead choosing to stare them all down.

"Give up. You're all gonna die. You don't stand a chance."

Sakura tried to intervene when she sensed Naruto's temper rise.

"Now, listen here—!"

"Do you really think you can beat Gatou?"

"YEAH, DATTEBAYO!"

"You can't. There's only four of you, and hundreds of them. You're barely older than me; how can you hope to fight? You'll only die."

"No we won't, 'ttebayo! We're ninja, and we're gonna save Wave Country!"

"Are you STUPID?!"

The boy screamed; his eyes shone a little glossier than normal.

"THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A HERO!"

"What?!"

"Heroes don't die…they can't die. My father used to be a hero; he tried to fight Gatou, and look where that got him! He's in a coffin now, all because he tried to be a HERO!"

"WHY YOU—!"

"Stop, dobe."

Sasuke slapped his hand over Naruto's mouth, making eye contact with the boy. Those eyes…they reminded him of himself after the massacre. So lost, so alone, so hurt…so weak. Ready to blame others for their failures. And in that moment, Sasuke lost it. His voice roughened slightly with barely restrained anger.

"There are heroes in this world. There have to be, to balance those cursed with the burden of evil. They aren't immortal, nor are they invincible. They are people. They make mistakes, they fail, they die. But what makes them different from others is their will to change things for the better, no matter the cost to themselves. If you want Gatou gone, which you do, stop being such a whiney little bitch about it, get up off your fat ass, and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Don't berate others for doing something you're too scared, too weak, or too lazy to do on your own. When you fail, analyze your mistakes and fix them instead of crying about it like a small child. Your current ways will get you nowhere in life, and if you had been in our shoes you'd already be dead. You hear me? So stop with all your bitching about how your life sucks and your dad's dead. I can guarantee that people have had worse childhoods than yours, so SUCK. IT. UP."

And then the kid had to go and make it worse for himself. Still crying, he wailed,

"What do you know?! You don't know anything about how I feel, how much it hurts!"

Sasuke's fists clenched, and his clothes and hair started to billow gently as his chakra writhed in sheer rage.

"_I _don't know about how _you _feel? That's right; I don't. You still have your mother, your grandfather, your friends. Imagine coming home to find everyone you're related to slaughtered. Then imagine it was, say, your grandfather or favorite cousin or maybe even your _older brother_ who killed them in the most painful, drawn-out ways possible. Then imagine he traps you in an illusion that forces you to relive all of their deaths for three days in the span of three seconds. _Then _imagine waking up in the hospital to find out that no, it wasn't a nightmare and yes, your entire family is dead. Try spending a couple years in the shitty foster care system where people want you for your name, potential political power, or money, as well as being beaten and whipped by those supposed to take care of you. Throw in horrendous nightmares that never cease unless you've completely, and I mean _completely _exhausted yourself, periodic broken bones and sprains, and a series of recurrent problems from the shoulder your psychotic older brother brutally shattered the night of your clan's massacre and what do you get?"

The boy didn't answer; it was safe to say that Sasuke had shocked the entire room into silence. He turned and walked back to the door, pausing in the doorway.

"_Me."_

Suffice to say, no one stopped him when he announced he was headed to bed and ascended the stairs.

The boy left in a huff, off to sit at the docks while his mother Tsunami called him. His name was Inari, it seemed.

All of this had ceased to matter to Sakura, though. All she could think of was Sasuke's dark past, which was much, much darker than she'd thought.

And in that moment, a small shred of pity for a silent, moody, apathetic boy came to roost in the heart of a perfect, whole, pink-haired girl.

**強**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N: Oh my Kami THANK YOU to all the devoted reviewers, followers, alerters, and anonymous readers alike! I've broken 1750 views thanks to you guys!**

**Anyways, this chapter was a bitch to write (mostly because TDCT-chan gave me a superawesomesauce idea when I was in the middle of writing it, so I had to start over…thanks anyway XD), and took longer than usual because of the following:**

**-Trip to Santa Barbara with TDCT-chan and various others **

**-Getting very bad sunburns on my face (AHHHH! THE AGONY!)**

**-End of year stuff (mainly projects)**

**-Summer stuff**

**-Getting three cavities and losing a filling**

**-Trip to Santa Monica Pier with TDCT-chan and various others (screaming dattebayo and doing the Kage Bunshin handsign for the coaster picture FTW)**

**-End of year partying with TDCT-chan and various others (pizza is good…)**

**-Playing ninja with TDCT-chan and various others (I won the round when I started in the Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms start stance…Neji skills FTW)**

**-The insane plot bunny generators in my head (WTF?! ****_FIFTEEN IDEAS IN TWO DAYS?! _****Are you trying to kill me through creativity, brain?!)**

**And finally…**

**-WORKING ON ORIGINAL COVER ART FOR BMS! **

**You're excited, right? I can tell~!**

**Anyways, thank you to the reviewers who pointed out various errors in the story. I don't have a beta right now, so any and all constructive criticism is appreciated.**

**Moving on…since I'm currently on summer break, I'll have time to write more often. So (hopefully) no more two- or three-week waits for updates! Yay! :D**

**FAQ Time:**

**Q: Why is Sasuke prone to random rant-fests?**

**A: You forget; this Sasuke has a non-idiotic Naruto in his head. Zian's personality is basically that of Kyuubi and that of Naruto mixed (now THAT would be a good fanfic idea…hmmm…). Zian's attitude is starting to rub off on Sasuke; you've seen his failed attempts to control it and revert back to normal (refer to the Catch Tora! Chapter), which don't seem to be working too well, do they? Sheesh, Sasuke…embrace who you are.**

**Q: Y U NO WRITE MOAR SASUSAKU?!**

**A: I'm trying to take their relationship slowly, 'ttebane! I'm basically basing it of one of mine; first acquaintances, then friends, then best friends, then…chu~! Plus there's the fact that Sasuke has the emotional awareness of a freaking ROCK and Sakura doesn't want to be seen as shallow. Then there's Naruto's crush on Sakura, Sasuke's incredible aversion towards bonding, Sakura's obliviousness, Kakashi's deviousness…there's a nice little cocktail of romantic teen angst mixing in Team Seven, and Kakashi's loving every minute of it.**

**Q: Are the side pairings decided yet?**

**A: Yes…NaruHina is one, NejiTen is another…the rest you'll have to wait for, my dear readers! Aren't I evil? :D**

**Q: Who asks these FAQ questions, anyway?**

**A: I do.**

**As promised…**

**KBA-CHAN'S OMAKE THEATER!**

**This week: ****_The Story of Hatake Kakashi_**

**Warning: COMPLETE CRACK**

Hatake Kakashi wasn't always called Hatake Kakashi. No, he was once an Uchiha named Kyo who happened to break a mirror with his incredibly good looks and bring several months of bad luck upon himself.

So, one day Kyo was running about with scissors, because he was a shinobi and shinobi are _meant _to run about playing with dangerous, sharp objects.

Kyo tripped on a rock and stabbed himself in the eye with said scissors.

The shock of it turned his hair white, and his parents committed seppuku because their son had disgraced their family by tripping on a rock and destroying any chance of activating the Sharingan.

Kyo was given his father's Sharingan eye, emancipated, and promptly banished from the clan for sheer stupidity with his name changed to Hatake Kakashi to prevent the idiot from being traced back to them.

Years later, Fugaku would approach the legendary Copy Ninja asking if he would like his place in the clan back. Kakashi refused and happily gave him several X-rated suggestions on where exactly he could shove said proposal.

**Itachi: Ummm…KBA?**

**KBA: Yeah? *smiles sweetly***

**Itachi: You do realize that's not what happened, right?**

**KBA:…There's a crack warning at the top.**

**Itachi: Ah. Sense has been made.**

**KBA: You're starting to sound like me!**

**Sasuke: that's never a good thing.**

**KBA: SHUT. UP. DUCK. BUTT.**

**TDCT: Hey~! That rhymes! *pokes head in from doorway***

**KBA: TDCT-CHAAAAAN~!**

**TDCT: KBA-CHAAAAAN~!**

**KBA: TDCT-CHAAAAAN~! *running in slow-mo towards TDCT***

**TDCT: KBA-CHAAAAAN~! *running in slow-mo towards KBA***

***le Gai-Lee hug complete with sunset and crashing waves***

**Itachi:…Dear Kami not again…**

**Sasuke: AAAARGH~! THE LIGHT~! IT BUUUUUUUURNS~!**

**TDCT: *lets go of KBA* Hey guys! So, as you may have guessed, I am the almighty EmoOtakuTDCT, (AKA the person who puts up with KatanaBladeArtist's shit on a daily basis), and I am here to reap your souls! *pulls out Death Note***

**Sasuke:…I vote Danzo.**

**Itachi: And the elder council. They're assholes.**

**Sasuke: Danzo and the elder council.**

**TDCT: Heh…wish granted.**

**KBA: Yaaaaaaaay~!**

***Meanwhile, in Konoha, Danzo and the elder council suffer simultaneous heart attacks. The village is filled with the cheers of ecstatic members of the shinobi council***

**Itachi:…I can see what you see in her, KBA-chan.**

**TDCT: *smirks and high-fives KBA and Sasuke***

**KBA: Anyways, TDCT-chan here is our featured guest this week, as she's new here (though she won't be a guest next week, or the week after, as she'll become part of our little 'team'…), so…the honors go to you, my epic otaku friend!**

**TDCT: Oh. Alright. Allons-y, then! **

**Sasuke: You watch it too?!**

**TDCT:Yes, I'm a Whovian. Problem?**

**Sasuke: *staring dreamily at TDCT* I love you…**

**TDCT: *slaps him* THIS IS A SASUSAKU, DIPSHIT!**

**Sasuke: I meant in a platonic way.**

**TDCT: Oh. Okay~! :D *Announcer-Voice-no-Jutsu!* Kakashi-sensei is back with a vengeance, and Sakura-chan's plan is holding strong! Join us next time for a special edition: Oppa Sensei Style! Kakashi Scopes Out the Team!**

**Sasuke: Why is this a special?**

**KBA: 'Cause it's kinda filler-ish (I couldn't skip right to the battle at the bridge), I decided to write this next chapter entirely from Kakashi's POV (still in third person, of course) so you can all see what goes on in his silver-covered, super-pervy mind.**

**TDCT: Hear, hear!**

**This chapter's page break is ****_tsuyo, _****or ****_strength._**


	9. Hachi

**Chapter Eight**

Oppa Sensei Style! Kakashi Scopes Out the Team!

**森**

Bleary, mismatched eyes cracked open as the dawn of a new day assaulted Kakashi's shinobi senses. Birds chirped in the trees, wind whistled in the leaves, and the floor of the house creaked as someone (presumably one of his Genin) padded down the hall outside his room. The sun was bright (too bright, he reflected, as he'd been unconscious for two days and had only woken up the previous evening), and silver hair half-covered his Sharingan, preventing it from sucking away his chakra like the demonic, useful parasite it was (since legends said the Uchiha had demonic blood somewhere in the mishmash of shinobi heritage). The man took a moment to simply lie there, on his fuuton, the scents of Tsunami's breakfast wafting up from downstairs to tickle his dog-like sense of smell, a trait he cursed as well as praised (it made cleaning out the hospital bedpans as a Genin absolute _hell_).

He could smell the bacon (most likely wild boar, as Wave wasn't exactly prosperous enough to afford higher-quality farm meats), eggs, fish, and assorted wild vegetables cooking from downstairs. Scents of the forest and ocean drifted in from the open window, whose flowing white drapes undulated in the salty breeze. In all, he was completely at peace.

"OOOOOI~! KAKASHI-SENSEEEEEEEI~!"

….Correction. He _had been _completely at peace until his idiotic, stereotypically blonde student decided it would be a good time to open his entirely-too-loud mouth. Groaning, he sat up, muscles aching so badly he felt he could barely breathe for the pain, and raised a hand to his face. Good, so no one had removed his mask while he slept; he'd thought Naruto or maybe Sasuke would've at least attempted it, but apparently Sakura (and Tsunami) had a shred of decency. Speaking of Sakura and Sasuke…

Kakashi grinned beneath his mask, rubbing his hands together as devious thoughts flooded his mind. He'd announce they'd be doing training in pairs, then take Naruto aside to work on his (apparently horrendous) chakra control, while Sasuke and Sakura would be left alone…in the forest…by the ocean…without adult supervision…with a super-romantic setting…yes! It would be so easy, so simple, and yet so very perfect…like a toned-down Icha Icha novel come to life, the story of two torrid lovers whose profession could steal them away from each other at any moment…if he could write, he'd be the next Jiraiya!

But wait! Kakashi's closed eye snapped open. If he could find a camera…and tire Naruto out to the point of unconsciousness…he could (le gasp) _document their interactions! _Kakashi giggled. Yes, this plan would do.

After all, what's a ninja without a good dose of blackmail?

**森**

Sasuke and Sakura, eating their breakfast in peace downstairs, shivered simultaneously as a strange feeling washed over them. Sasuke's spiked hair actually seemed to raise slightly, like an agitated cat's fur as he stiffened. Sakura looked over to him.

"What was that?"

"I don't know…bt it feels similar to something that happens a lot in Konoha…"

"Hm? What?"

Sasuke shivered again.

"It's not possible, but there's no other explanation…there's a crazed fangirl somewhere around here."

Sakura gasped in sheer horror.

**森**

About an hour later (around nine in the morning, more accurately), Kakashi gathered Team Seven in Tazuna's living room for a debrief.

"Alright, so as you know, Zabuza will most likely attack a week from now, when his strength is recovered. I've decided that, since Tazuna is taking a day off and will be in the extensively-protected house, I'll take you three cute little Genin out to train."

Naruto grinned happily, eyes almost closed and hands behind his head. Sakura smiled at the blonde's antics, and Sasuke simply blinked.

Hell if Kakashi knew what was going through that boy's head most of the time…maybe thoughts of a certain pinkette? Yes, he would make them a couple. Seriously, their dynamic was too cute! Kakashi didn't notice he was blushing and giggling like a twenty-nine-year-old schoolgirl on steroids at the mental images of Sasuke giving Sakura flowers (pink, of course), Sasuke and Sakura on a date at a fancy restaurant (with Sakura in a pretty red dress and Sasuke in a suit), Sakura leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, Sasuke turning at the last second and brushing his lips across hers…yes, his cute little Genin were growing up so fast! He would have fluffy SasuSaku action in no time!

Meanwhile, Sasuke paled when Kakashi's shoujo act began. Sakura looked over to him.

"So it was him all along?"

"We need to go. Now. Before he goes Ino on our souls."

Sakura flinched, grabbed Sasuke's hand (ignoring Kakashi's even-louder-than-before giggles and Naruto's indignant screaming), and bolted.

**森**

"Have we lost him?"

Sakura panted, now racing behind Sasuke as they fled Tazuna's house and the terror within. Sasuke stopped gradually, doubled over and barely able to breathe, let alone speak. Then, as they both looked up, they gasped (albeit Sasuke's was mental).

They stood at the edge of a clearing overlooking the sea, surrounded by tall maple trees with gold, red, and auburn leaves. The grass was long, green, and pristine, waving in the salty sea breeze, and the ground at the other side of the grove dropped off into a steep white stone cliff. They could hear the waves breaking below, and the cries of seagulls circling above. The sun was high in the sky, ringed with wispy white clouds in an impossibly blue sky.

Neither of them realized they were still holding hands. Or, rather, Sasuke noticed but decided to pretend he didn't. He liked her touch, her closeness, the feeling of her small, delicate, calloused-palm hand in his. Unconsciously, Sakura stepped closer to him, until her shoulder brushed his, and they walked to the cliff's edge, sitting down.

Sasuke stretched his right leg out, propping his left elbow up on his left knee. On his right, Sakura lay on her left side, shoulder still resting on Sasuke's and hand still joined with his. And on an unspoken message, or agreement, they watched the waves in silence.

Sasuke never noticed the small smile that appeared on his face, nor his body's slight lean into Sakura, as though it unconsciously craved her. Sakura, on the other hand, wore a grin the size of Konoha as she tilted her head, letting it fall onto Sasuke.

They stayed that way for the rest of the day, on account of both parties falling asleep about half an hour after discovering the little clearing by the sea.

**森**

Kakashi eye-smiled. After leaving Naruto (who'd needed more help with chakra control than he'd first thought) to train using the tree-climbing exercise (using the excuse of going to find Sasuke and Sakura, which was true, but not for the reason Naruto had imagined), he'd tracked Sasuke and Sakura's scent to a small (romantic!) clearing, where he'd found them, alright…he'd found them asleep on one another, still holding hands, facing the ocean and (now) the sunset. He had no doubt they'd been here all day.

As he watched them, he sensed Sasuke's chakra flare slightly, and he drew back into the bushes, suppressing his own energy (as Sasuke seemed to be able to sense chakra, as they'd found through the excess of Tora missions) as he did so. The raven's head stirred, then rose, twisting to the side to behold a pink-haired girl, lit with the colors of the sunset. Kakashi caught a hint of a smile flutter along Sasuke's face, like a hesitant butterfly, before the boy smothered it.

Ah, well…denial wasn't just a river in Suna before it dried up in the desert sun!

…At least, Kakashi thought the old saying went something like that.

Sakura woke up then, shifting her hair out of her eyes and saying something to Sasuke.

"I can't believe we were out so long…it must be around five, ne?"

"…Aa."

Sakura giggled, and Sasuke looked at her confusedly.

"Only you could make a grunt a legitimate answer. Kami, Sasuke, would it kill you to use actual words?"

"…"

"Well?"

"…Maybe."

Sakura burst into all-out laughter, the kind that left your lungs breathless and your eyes filled with tears of mirth, collapsing against her teammate (future lover, dammit!) as he smirked, watching her antics with a glint of some emotion in his eyes. Kakashi was too far away to tell what it was, but he could tell it related to the green-eyed genius girl giggling in his lap.

Wait.

Hold up.

In his lap?!

…They were further along the road to romance than Kakashi had previously thought. The silver-haired sensei in question watched them for around ten more minutes before departing, the avid shipping maniac within his head screaming about the influx of evidence for current and/or future SasuSaku fluff.

What he didn't hear, however, were Sasuke's quiet chuckles hidden amongst the gales of laughter spewing forth from the pinkette.

**森**

Picking up a trained-to-exhaustion Naruto on his way home, Kakashi allowed himself a little victory fist-pump, with quiet whisper-yells of "Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!"

Needless to say, the clones of Naruto guarding the house (whom he'd forgotten were there) decided as a whole to let one of their own dispel to inform the boss of their findings. In conclusion: they now had solid evidence that the Jounin was officially insane. Or pedophilic. Possibly both. Why else would he be randomly screaming the word 'yes' over and over with a small blonde boy over his shoulder?

The designated dispeller shuddered before he cracked his head on a tree, disappearing in a poof of smoke. He'd hate to think of what Kakashi had done to his boss while said boss was unconscious.

**森**

Sasuke and Sakura returned about half an hour after Kakashi and Naruto did. Naruto was still unconscious, twitching occasionally due to nightmares induced by his dispelled clone's report. Kakashi was 'meditating' on the couch (in reality he was simply looping the SasuSaku real-life fan-service through his brain), schoolgirl blush hidden by his mask. Sakura gave him a wary look, watching him like a rabbit watches a prowling wolf. Sasuke simply gave him a wide berth, taking the far route around the couch to avoid any possible fan-spasms (which, from his experience, involved fangirls literally throwing themselves at him). A small twinge in Sasuke's arm reminded him of the wards, letting him know that someone was trying to get in. Sakura left the room, and he shook Kakashi awake, signaling to him through use of Shinobi Sign Language that there was a potential enemy on the loose. The man nodded, suddenly serious, and burst into a cloud of white smoke.

**森**

Kakashi appeared, cautious, at the western edge of Sasuke's runic protection, only to find a slightly-smoking figure lying there, the shattered remains of a runic construct slowly dissolving around him. His face was covered with a hood and mask, leaving only the closed eyes and a spike of orange hair loose. The rest of the figure was swathed in robes, with heavy travelling boots adorning his feet. In all, the man had a rather ragged appearance, matched by the worn-looking broadsword in his right hand, chipped along the edge (most likely from destroying the integrity of the runes trapping him). He stirred, and Kakashi jumped back, forgetting for a moment about the barrier. Two eyes, one ice blue and one blood red, narrowed themselves at Kakashi, and the orange-haired man only took enough time to sign that he wasn't a threat to their mission before leaping up and away. Kakashi watched him go, and a feeling of foreboding descended over him. Whatever he'd been there for…the silver-haired man was certain that it somehow involved his Genin, and that it was anything but good.

**森**

_"Did you find him?"_

"Iie. There was some sort of runic barrier around the area. I couldn't get through, and it probably would've killed me if I wasn't who I am."

_"Ma, ma, you take the good with the bad, I guess…"_

"Are you sure this transmission is secure, Kira-san?"

_"Hmmm…I don't know. Maybe you should hurry your ass up and get back to base so we aren't overheard, Jura-san!"_

"Shut up. Your voice is getting squeakier, and it's pissing me off. I'll be back shortly."

_"Bunta-kun's doing dinner…you should hurry if you want it hot."_

"See ya in ten, Kira-san. Jura out."

**森**

Kakashi soared through the trees, as he couldn't use the Shunshin again without running out of chakra (Kami, why did it take so much? Maybe the runes?) and he needed the time to think anyways.

Sasuke had informed him of his runic abilities the day after their first Tora missions, in which he'd created a foil rune to counteract the protection on the Uchiha main gate and allow Team Seven safe passage into the compound. He'd said that they were a Kekkai Genkai of sorts, a compliment to the Sharingan, and that most Uchiha had training in basic runes. There were few with actual talent in the art (it was like Fuuinjutsu, but more complex and with the addition of Latin, an ancient language from outside of the Hidden Countries), and those who had it were able to use runes for anything and everything, even enhancing their own abilities or creating new, more powerful runes.

But that begged the question: what had happened to Sasuke while battling the Demon Brothers? What had allowed him, a Genin, to hold his own with an S-class missing ninja who was also a former Kiri ANBU? What was the power he'd used? Kakashi was certain that Sasuke was no Jinchuuriki; Konoha only had one Bijuu, the Kyuubi, and two Jinchuuriki would never be placed on the same cell anyway, due to the fact that they were often targets for their power and value. So if he wasn't a demon container…why did his chakra hold such malicious intent? Why was he being targeted? He was certain that the orange-haired man with mismatched eyes was after the Uchiha, as Naruto's condition was still somewhat unknown, and Sakura's family had almost no enemies to speak of.

As much as Kakashi loathed to admit it, Sasuke was an enigma that even he, at this point in time, couldn't solve. Hell, his entire _team _was a mystery, and it all orbited around the black-haired teen.

Because Uchiha clan members always had to be the center of the damn universe, after all. Seriously, what did their pride come from?! At least his former teammate, Obito, had been the clan's black sheep, because even Kakashi was willing to admit he'd had an ego the size of the Kyuubi when he was a Gennin, Chuunin, and recently-promoted Jounin. He lost it with the deaths of Obito, Rin, and Minato, but what else could he do? Continue being cocky and get more people killed on his account? Not gonna happen. He wouldn't have any more guilt on his conscience, and he would make up for Obito's painful one-sided love of Rin (who had loved Kakashi, also one-sidedly) by setting Sasuke and Sakura on the path to courtship, as well as hinting to Naruto a certain navy-haired girl's interest in him (for Kami's sake, she stalked him! _Stalked him!_) to get him to realize that _no, Sakura wasn't the only girl in the world. _And he'd need to beat the Uchiha pride out of Sasuke (not that he had much to begin with, he didn't think…at least, the boy hadn't been a complete snot to the team. Just a bit distant, probably from the leftover anxiety about bonding from his older brother's betrayal), give Sakura some higher-class jutsu, get Naruto's chakra control into gear, and improve their team dynamic in general.

Not for the first time, Kakashi half-heartedly cursed his Hokage. True, he'd been forced into taking Genin team after Genin team, and he'd failed them all (seriously, give them two bells instead of three and suddenly the whole world goes mad), but Team Seven…they'd made an impression. And he liked to think that it was for the better, because (honestly) they reminded him of his own team. Naruto as Obito, the prankster drop-out deadlast who was hopelessly in love with the kunoichi. Sakura as Rin, the budding medical ninja with more bite than bark. Sasuke as himself, Kakashi, the prodigy with little to no emotion, who couldn't allow himself to feel or bond for fear of loss.

Besides, he was beginning to see them as sort-of children, or younger siblings. He was beginning to enjoy Naruto's merry laughter, Sakura's bright smile at the start of every mission, and Sasuke's silent protectiveness of them all. They were more than a team; Team Seven had become like a second (or, in Naruto's case, first) family to them all.

And as he jumped through another leafy gauntlet, Kakashi knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

**森**

Kakashi found Sasuke lounging on the couch when he arrived back at Tazuna's home, onyx eyes closed as he breathed. A small smile wormed its way up the man's face. Sasuke had obviously been meditating, but his body had probably caught up with the demonic chakra he'd used a couple days before and was now forcing itself into a pseudo-coma to recuperate. From the faintly annoyed expression that still adorned his face, Sasuke had realized this a little too late.

The silver-haired Jounin reflected that the boy looked smaller in sleep, almost like a ten- or eleven-year-old Academy student. Not like a budding ninja, who could subdue two B-rank missing ninja (from Kiri, no less) with his stare alone. Shaking his head, Kakashi proceeded to lift the Uchiha bridal-style, carrying him up the stairs as he slept and settling him in his futon, tucking a blanket over the lithe form.

An image of a mother tucking her child into bed came to mind, and was forcibly dispelled with lots and lots of mental kunai. It wasn't manly enough for him, dammit, not nearly manly enough! Kakashi then realized his mental tirade sounded a lot like one a certain gree-jumpsuit-clad Taijutsu specialist would say…and promptly stabbed his mental being with thousands of sharp, pointy things. A final image popped into the poor Jounin's mind: one of his (self-proclaimed) rival in a frilly pink apron and matching makeup, tucking his mini-me into a bed with Bruce-Lee-themed sheets, in a room full of _Enter the Dragon _memorabilia. The cycloptic man let out a silent scream of anguish and dropped into a dead faint right next to Sasuke, one arm laid over the teen's chest in a classic (albeit unintentional) cuddle.

Of course, it was then that Naruto woke up, shrieked something about perverted, pedophilic senseis, and ran out of the room, causing Sasuke to jerk into a state of semi-awareness, feel the limp arm over his chest, and jump up. Kakashi, only-half conscious, barely had time to ask (rather fuzzily) what was going on, before Sasuke kicked him (hard) in the…ahem…_bells_ (twice), and streaked out of the room, face completely red, leaving poor, misunderstood Kakashi to attempt to stand from his fetal position, tears pouring from his singular eye.

Oh, Kakashi. Next time think about context, ne?

**森**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N: Dear Kami, when I say I'm working on something it means I'M WORKING ON SOMETHING! **

**…Sorry 'bout that. Okaa-san decided that since I spend several hours a day shut in my room (writing, drawing, studying for my summer school science class (which I have to pass to get into bio), and gaming), I MUST be doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. So she proceeded to load me up with a bunch of stuff to do. Add to that the fact that, apparently, eating the last piece of garlic bread with my spaghetti lunch makes me selfish, and that asking her (as respectfully as possible, I might add) to leave my room so that I may work in piece is a sign of my steadily-going-downhill-because-of-anime-and-Japan ese-stuff-in-general life going to waste, and you have one VERY PISSED KBA. So, I did what anyone else does when they've had enough crap; I snapped. Very loudly. So now my phone's been confiscated until further notice, and my laptop is supposed to be under the couch (where I apparently cannot get to it. I'm not blind; I see the lights shining through the gap…)…oh, and guess what, guys! A 95% on a homework assignment is now a failing grade! Whoop-de-doo~! (le sarcasm)**

**…Again, I'm sorry. My mom's usually pretty awesome (I mean, she took me to Little Tokyo for freaking RAMEN!), but when we disagree…let's just say I feel bad for anyone who gets caught in the crossfire. I have practically no one to talk to, though (I'm sneaking about trying to write this as is, and have been waking up two hours before my alarm goes off to finish the chapter), and summer school's insanely busy. Tests every Monday, quizzes every day, and at least six lengthy homework assignments (all due the next day) AND a lab every day make for one extremely stressed KBA. Plus I need at least an 80%...oh, and did I mention the freaking FINAL?! Gaaah~! I'm gonna die!**

**But still…I got it done (after making you wait ENTIRELY too long…gomenasai, minna-san!) AND I got a DeviantArt (katana blade artist . deviantart . com, just remove the spaces), where I'll be posting artwork. I actually got a BMS-style Sasuke vs. Gaara piece done today, so I'm scanning it in when I can, as well as a Shippuden-style SasuSaku. I'm damn proud of myself! XD**

**Also…(if Mom says yes) I might be going to an anime convention with TDCT-chan! I'm seriously hoping she'll agree, as Kakashi's Japanese VA is gonna be there and I will probably lock myself in my room and cry if I miss that (Kakashi's one of my favorite characters, 'ttebayo!) and I haven't seen TDCT in, like, two weeks. So yeah.**

**KBA-CHAN'S OMAKE THEATER!**

**This week: **S'mores (A SasuSaku Special!)

"Shit!"

Sakura frantically waved the marshmallow she was roasting, as it had caught fire in a blaze of brilliant embers. This was the fourth one, dammit, and she hadn't been able to eat a SINGLE s'more!

Suddenly, a perfectly-browned marshmallow invaded her vision. Sakura turned to her right to see Sasuke, hair silver in the moonlight and face (which was turned away from her) awash in a fiery glow as he stared into the flames, holding out his skewer for her to take. The back of his neck and the tips of his ears were red (at least, redder than the rest of him; it was hard to tell, as the firelight made everything seem orange and gold), and he was very determinedly not looking in her direction.

_He's…blushing?_

"Here…take it."

"Really?"

"Aa. I don't eat sweets."

_Then why did you make a marshmallow?_

Sakura stared at him for a moment, then smiled.

"Alright. Arigatou, Sasuke."

"Aa."

They continued in that fashion for the rest of the night; Sasuke toasting marshmallows and Sakura making s'mores. Kakashi grinned in the background, taking in the scene. He turned to Naruto and whispered,

"I ship that. I ship it HARD."

**KBA: That's what I was thinking too, Kakashi.**

**Itachi: *smiles approvingly* Smooth moves with the ladies, otouto!**

**Sasuke: *Hinata-red and stuttering incoherently***

**TDCT: *grins* You know what this means, right?**

**Everyone Else: What?**

**TDCT: BLACKMAIL~!**

**Sasuke: *groans* Can we PLEASE change the subject?!**

**KBA: Alright, back to the end of the AN we go~!**

**TDCT: I hope she says yes!**

**KBA: So do I! *crosses fingers***

**Itachi: Oh Kami not again.**

**Sasuke: *sniffles* I pray for you, KBA. Your dedication to your fandom is admirable, and deserves to be rewarded by the God of Otakuism.**

**TDCT: As the Shodaime Senseikage of the Village Hidden in the British, I command KBA's mom to say yes!**

**KBA: As the Shodaime Otakukage of the Village Hidden in the Anime, I concur!**

**Itachi: *collapses to the ground laughing***

**Sasuke: *wipes a tear from his eye and bows* Hail, great warriors of the Land of Fandoms! HAIL!**

**Itachi: *still laughing* Where….where is that even FROM?!**

**KBA: *whips out phone and shows Itachi an email***

**"To: TDCT**

**From: KBA**

**Subject: Lol really? :3 Like a boss!**

**You're set...I'm gonna have to convert the 1D heathens to the amazingness that is otakuism. Never fear, though; I will become the next (and greatest) Otakukage of the Village Hidden in the Anime, located in the Land of Fandoms! And you will be the Senseikage of the neighboring Village Hidden in the British, and we will rule together! (Cuz sensei is a suffix for doctor as well as teacher-see what I did there?)**

**Sent from my iPhone"**

**Itachi: *jaw drops; starts laughing even harder and rolling about on the floor***

**KBA and TDCT: *stand there looking important***

***knock at door***

**KBA: Come in!**

***door opens; Inari peeks in***

**TDCT: Get off your emo soapbox, move your ass over here, and do the next chapter's intro!**

**Inari: *snotty kid voice* FINE! *announcer voice* Kakashi's team has spent the week training, getting stronger for their fight with Zabuza. However, the silver-haired man can't help but wonder…who is the man with mismatched eyes?! Find out next time, in: An Unspoken Vow! Zabuza Attacks!**

**KBA: Yeahh…there's a time-skip. I skipped all the parts where they train, 'cuz I want the team's abilities to be a surprise. But you can all probably guess Sasuke's gonna use his vampiric chakra again.**

***everybody stares at Sasuke, who squirms uncomfortably***

**Sasuke: What?! It was the only option?**

**Itachi: Why does that sound like a question?**

**Sasuke: I…um…you see…**

**Itachi: *grabs Sasuke by the collar* We're going to have a little ****_chat, _****otouto.**

**Sasuke: HELP!**

**KBA, TDCT, and Inari: Nope.**

***Itachi drags Sasuke from the room, leaving fingernail marks on the floor and doorframe***

**TDCT:…I take it Itachi's ANBU days haven't left him?**

**KBA:…Guess not.**

**Inari: I WANT MY DADDY BACK! HEROES AREN'T REAL! YOU'RE ALL GONNA DIE! AND I'M GONNA LAUGH CUZ I TOLD YA SO—MPH! *shuts up because of convenient duct-tape maneuver by TDCT***

**TDCT: SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET THE HELL OUT! *punts Inari out the window***

**KBA: Your tolerance of whiny brats is at an all-time low.**

**TDCT: Was it ever there to begin with?**

**KBA:…You see, this is one of the reasons why we're friends.**

***high-fives and bitch-please faces***

**This chapter's page break is ****_mori, _****or ****_forest_****.**

**…And yes, that's an ACTUAL email. In my defense, I was high on sugar.**

**Also...THANKS FOR 2150 VIEWS, GUYS! I LOVE YOU ALL~! :D**

**EDIT (7/4/12): Happy July 4th to all the Americans out there! Fixed URL in the AN so it actually shows up, as well as some minor typos. Hey, not all of us are perfect!**


	10. Kyuu

**A/N: This chapter marks a new innovation in battle scenes: the soundtrack! From now on, I'll be putting in different pieces of music I recommend you listen to while you read the scene, to help set the mood. It's completely up to you if you do so (heh, no duh), but...if you're even a little curious, give it a shot!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

An Unspoken Vow! Zabuza Attacks!

**死**

Team Seven awoke as per usual; Sasuke first, who then woke up Naruto, who then woke up Sakura, Kakashi, Tazuna, Inari, Tsunami, and anyone else in a mile radius with his incessant shouting at Sasuke for being a teme. Some things will never change.

However, today felt different to all parties involved; something in the air, perhaps, or maybe a stronger sea breeze than usual…but whatever it was brought with it a sense of dark foreboding, like a dark cloud looming over them all. Sasuke, thanks to Zian, knew what it was; Zabuza would attack today.

He couldn't warn the others, though, or he would risk them figuring out what he was…besides, he was almost tempted to call in sick, as he was borderline blood-starved (it had been nine days since his last drink, back in the Leaf) and the battle would most likely be (for him) one of self-control. Zian was trying to repress the urges to simply pin someone down and feed to his heart's content, and failing somewhat. At least Sasuke wasn't trying to pull something on, say, Inari (good Kami that brat pissed him off)…_yet. _If this went on any longer, he wouldn't be able to restrain himself.

Ah, the perils of being a ninja vampire. Still, he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, sitting down as Tsunami bustled about in the kitchen preparing their breakfast.

**死**

As they ate Tsunami's masterfully prepared meal, Sakura noticed there was something off about Sasuke. He seemed almost…lethargic, for lack of a better term. Not like the usual 'just-got-up' type of tiredness, either. No, this morning Sasuke was more of an 'I-lost-too-much-blood-from-that-katana-wound-so-I 'm-gonna-go-and-faint-in-a-corner-now' languid. He looked pale, almost washed out, and she could see almost all of his veins, a blue network that wound its way beneath nearly-translucent skin. The whites of his eyes were slightly yellowish, with dark circles that suggested that he either slept badly or didn't sleep at all. And when he opened his mouth…the gums were blood red instead of pink, and his incisors seemed a little sharper than normal.

In all, the medic side of her was screaming that something wasn't right, that Sasuke was sick, that he had caught some sort of disease that the denizens of Wave were immune to. So, naturally, when he sat down, she got up and rushed over to him, a worried expression on her face.

"Oh my Kami, Sasuke! You look awful…what's wrong? Do you have a fever? Do you feel nauseous? Dizzy? Faint? Drowsy? Is your vision OK? What about your muscle control?"

Sasuke blinked at the pinkette, who was checking his temperature with the back of her hand, making small, worried noises.

"You feel clammy…maybe you're going into shock? Are your joints stiff? Do you feel cold at all? Dammit, Uchiha, tell me so I can figure out what's wrong!"

To her surprise, Sasuke snorted, taking another sip of green tea before deigning to reply.

"There's nothing wrong, Sakura."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. Her Inner screamed at her to punch the living daylights out of the boy before her, to give him a taste of his own medicine (even though he'd never hit her, but details didn't really matter) and beat him senseless. Honestly, the boy was too proud for his own good.

"But you're—!"

"Leave it. I know what's wrong, it's not contagious, and it won't hamper my performance. It's private information anyway."

Sasuke cut her off before she could fuss over him any more, getting up with his now-empty plate and leaving the room, sticking it in the sink as he passed. Sakura narrowed her eyes after him.

There was something going on with him, and she wouldn't rest until she found out exactly what it was.

**死**

Sasuke shut the bathroom door, locking it behind him, as he slid down the wall and to the floor. Seriously, why couldn't girls leave _anything _alone?! His vampiric side was borderline blood-starved (for Kami's sake, he was barely restraining himself from jumping at her and sucking her dry as she ate breakfast!), he was tired, Zian was screaming near-constantly at him to _get some damn food!, _and he was worried.

Why?

Because there would almost certainly be a battle today, and blood would definitely be shed. Spilling blood around a starving vampire is generally not a good idea. So, Sasuke could only hope that he was able to face off with Zabuza's senbon-wielding cohort (as Kakashi would most definitely take on the swordsman himself) and that the Mist-born ninja used the Kirigakure no Jutsu again. Then, he could use his vampiric form to take the girl out and feed without anyone seeing. However…she was most likely Zabuza's apprentice, so her jutsu skills would be hard to beat. Add to that her apparent mastery of senbon and he'd have quite the time trying to prevent her from taking his head as a prize. But hell, he was a starving first-generation vampire with a dormant Doujutsu, pyrotechnic tendencies, and one hell of a right hook. He couldn't afford to lose.

As for now…he'd have to concentrate on controlling the urge to feed. If there wasn't a battle today…he'd either have to tell everyone about his condition, or run off to feed in secret in the middle of the night. Neither option appealed to him, of course, but he'd do what he needed to.

Offhandedly, he wondered what the others thought. They must've heard him slam and lock the bathroom door…

**死**

Kakashi, downstairs, giggled, perverted thoughts racing through his head. Sasuke locking himself in the bathroom after talking to Sakura? Now if _that _wasn't evidence, he didn't know what was.

Sakura paled. Her sensei was doing it again; the schoolgirl persona. She streaked up the stairs and barricaded herself in her room.

Naruto shivered. A feeling of foreboding slithered over him, warning him of a potential threat. Shrieking at the top of his lungs, he ran after Sakura, diving into the hall closet to wait out the storm.

**死**

Sasuke wondered what all the noise from downstairs was. He heard a lot of screaming…

**死**

Inari laughed slightly (having come out of his 'there-are-no-heroes' funk when he watched Naruto defeat a couple of bandits trying to take some old lady's purse while giving an inspirational speech), while Tsunami smiled at both the team's antics and her son's lighter attitude. Tazuna shook his head with a small grin on his weathered face, the beginnings of a chuckle rumbling in his chest. Kakashi looked up in confusion, wondering where his team had gone.

**死**

About an hour later, Sasuke strode down the stairs (having showered, dressed, and sharpened his weapons) to meet his team and Tazuna.

"Ready to go?"

"Hai!"

Sakura chimed, hair in a high ponytail, wearing and outfit that made it look like she'd cut the midsection area and sleeves off of her cheongsam. Thankfully (for Sasuke), she wore a netting shirt to cover her bare stomach, right shoulder, and the entirety of her left arm. Her arms and hands were covered in bandages from the first finger joints to the elbow, making it look like she was wearing fingerless gloves over the netting. She also had kunoichi boots with shin guards, all black in color. Her red hitai'ate was around her forehead, Konoha symbol gleaming in the light.

"HAAAI~, DATTEBAYO~!"

Naruto all but screamed, wearing his usual jumpsuit.

"Aa."

Sasuke himself was wearing a black sleeveless shirt (high-collared) instead of his usual navy T-shirt, standard white shorts, black zori, and bandages instead of arm-warmers. Other than that, he looked the same.

Kakashi (who wore the exact same thing he always did) beamed happily.

"Good! Then let's move out, Team Seven and cargo!"

Naturally, Tazuna wasn't exactly pleased at his new title.

"I'm not your cargo, dammit, I'm your CLIENT!"

Kakashi waved a hand.

"Ma, ma, same difference."

Sakura, Naruto, Tsunami, and Inari laughed, while Sasuke smirked and Tazuna sputtered. And so Team Seven (and cargo!) embarked on their journey.

**死**

Naruto's nose twitched, and the Kyuubi growled in his head.

_Shut up, bastard fox._

_**Hn. Brat. There's something off here. If you get yourself killed like the idiot you are, I'll drag your sorry ass outta hell and beat the shit outta it.**_

****_Shut. Up._

This had been happening since he'd found out about the beast's existence; it would talk to him sometimes (more like bitch at him), telling him not to die and to kick his sorry ass into gear. Which meant that the fox was either worried for his safety (extremely unlikely), or something bad would happen to it should he die (almost certainly). Che, stupid Bijuu, making his life difficult as usual. His brain hurt, along with the soles of his feet from channeling so much chakra through them. It had taken Naruto almost a full week to master the tree-climbing exercise, and that was with him spending thirteen or fourteen hours on _that alone. _Sakura's advice had helped _(match the frequency of your chakra to that of the tree…it's all based on intent; if you want to climb the tree, your chakra will work more effectively. If you don't want to climb the tree but try anyway, your chakra will fight you.), _but he was no prodigy, like she and (as much as he hated to admit it) Sasuke were. So he simply dealt with falling over and over, dusting himself of and leaping back to the bark.

Sure, it hurt like hell, but it was worth it to finally scale the damn two-hundred-foot-tall piece of wood. It stung that Sakura had managed to get up her tree first, chanelling the perfect amount of chakra into her feet on the first try. At least he hadn't let himself be beaten by Sasuke; the Uchiha had taken a couple hours longer than him to learn his rhythm. Kakashi-sensei had said that it was the hardest for the teme because his "chakra kept fluctuating," whatever that meant.

Heh, it was probably because his chakra hated him because of his undeniable bastard-ness.

Whatever the case, Naruto, the dead-last loser, had beaten out the class prodigy (well, one of them), and he wasn't about to let it go.

**死**

"SHIT!"  
The silver-haired samurai with many tattoos cried as a purplish barrier surrounded him and his companion. Gatou had hired them to go in and kill Tazuna's daughter and grandson, but they hadn't been expecting a ninja's protection…

Twin screams of terror filled the forest as the two were simultaneously poisoned, stabbed, burned, drowned, electrocuted, crushed, sliced, torn apart from the inside, and devoured by their own chakra.

…Sasuke's perimeter was the more effective, after all.

Somewhere in the distance, Naruto sneezed.

**死**

Sasuke hissed under his breath as they approached the bridge. Good Kami, the anticipation was killing him! He could almost smell the bloodscent…so warm, sweet, and fresh…

It was then that he realized it; Kakashi's charcoal-gray eye had narrowed. The man's sense of smell was damn good, from what he'd read; even better than his own when it was fully released.

The bloodscent was real.

It had begun.

Kakashi started running, darting between crates and beams as the mist began to thicken, heavily laden with chakra.

_Kirigakure, ne?_

_**Here we go, gaki.**_

****All around them lay Tazuna's men, in varying states of being. Some had been brutally gutted, others beaten into unconsciousness, still others stabbed with unyielding precision by long, thin senbon. There was one who wasn't quite under yet, propped up against one of the bridge's supports with twin needles lodged in his neck. Kakashi lifted his chin with two fingers, and spoke in a calm voice,

**{{Soundtrack Start: ****_Dark Mage, _****Fairy Tail OST}}**

"Who did this to you?"

Tazuna was shivering violently. It wasn't often that he saw death, after all. Sasuke felt his muscles beginning to spasm, felt his heart clench uncomfortably in his chest as he struggled to keep it beating.

So much blood…all of it still warm and recently spilled…Kami help him, he was losing control.

Sakura shot him a concerned look.

_She probably thinks I'm shaking in fear…oh how wrong you are…_

The man's eyes were wide, bloodshot, filled with a terror that echoed in his shaking voice.

"Za…bu…za…"

Sasuke shook even more, gritting his teeth against the waves of pain washing over his system. In his head, Zian writhed in agony from keeping the transformation at bay for so long.

**_Hurry it up, gaki! I can't hold this for long!_**

****_I'm trying…I cant exactly summon him here, can I?!_

The Uchiha severed the mental link, concentrating on keeping his head. Meanwhile, Sakura and Naruto watched their quaking companion with worry. He was clenching his fists so hard that blood was actually beginning to spill, an almost-black color that stood out starkly against the whitish-gray of the paving stones.

The mist thickened slowly, moving in and coalescing into a blank veil that separated and suffocated them all.

**"I see you've finally arrived…Ka-ka-shi…"**

**{{Soundtrack Start: ****_Demon Deliora, _****Fairy Tail OST}}**

Zabuza's voice had taken on a menacingly playful lilt, pausing between the syllables of Kakashi's name to let them fall like birds with wings broken. Sasuke could hear it; Zabuza's heatbeat, strong and swift, tailed by another, weaker and faster.

_It must be the apprentice…_

_**The fact that you can hear their heartbeats is worrying. They're trained assassins, masking their presence with chakra. Even Kakashi cant sense them.**_

****_And this means…?_

_**It's starting. The vampirism is forcing you into a transformation out of sheer hunger.**_

****_Can't you stop it? You ARE the vampirism!_

_**Fool! I am not the vampirism; I'm the culmination of the Uchiha clan's knowledge, created by the son of the Six Paths and passed down through the generations, sealed into the clan's most promising ninja!**_

****_Wait…if you're not the vampirism…then was the silver-haired man in my mind that first time…_

_**Hai. That was Naizo, your vampiric side. Though why he was impersonating me I don't know. He's a hell of a lot uglier than I am. And can we PLEASE stop saying "the vampirism?!" It sounds REALLY weird!**_

****_…You have a shitload of explaining to do._

_**I know, but it can wait.**_

****Sasuke bit his lip as two figures emerged from the mist, which had formed a sort of arena around them all. Sakura and Tazuna were the furthest back, with Naruto just ahead of them, and Sasuke and Kakashi a bit further towards the center. Zabuza and the hunter-nin girl from before stood there, calm as a breeze. The taller man smirked, his bandages obscuring the expression and turning it into a shadowy movement of cloth.

"So…we meet again."

"I can't say I'm happy to see you, Zabuza."

"No matter. Just hand over the bridge builder and no one gets hurt. Except for him, of course, but what can you do? Surely you don't intend to fight toe-to-toe…my Haku would crush your little Genin with his pinky finger."

_"HIS?! _That's a _BOY?! _He's even prettier than SAKURA!"

Naruto shrieked, earning himself a thwack on the head with the weighted end of Sakura's kusarigama.

"DAMMIT NARUTO _BE SERIOUS!"_

Kakashi sweatdropped as Zabuza's smirk grew.

"Ma, ma, I guess it can't be helped…Sasuke-kun, if you would?"

Sasuke's lips curled into a feral smile dripping with a rather disturbing amount of bloodlust. He stepped forward to face Haku, voice rumbling a little in his throat.

"My pleasure…"

Kakashi looked over to Zabuza.

"You have your shinobi prodigy and I have mine…this is Uchiha Sasuke, the Academy's Rookie of the Year, regarded as the brightest star in Konoha's Genin Corps. A genius of ninjutsu, if you will."

Zabuza smirked again.

**{{Soundtrack Start: ****_Natsu's Magic II: Fire Dragon's Sword Edge, _****Fairy Tail OST}}**

"So this is the last Uchiha, hmm? Good…Haku?"

"Hai?"

"Take him out. Make it painful."

"Hai, Zabuza-sama."

Haku stepped forward, three senbon appearing in each hand.

"Uchiha Sasuke…I will show you the true meaning of 'shinobi.'"

Sasuke's grin widened as his teeth elongated even more, and talons began to form at the tips of his fingers. His gaze seemed to get just a hint redder as he stared the other boy down.

"Bring it on, pretty boy. Or are you scared you'll break a nail?"

Haku fists clenched around his weapons.

**{{Soundtrack Start: ****_Chaoz Airflow, _****ParagonX9}}**

They were locked in a staredown.

Even if Sasuke couldn't see the other boy's eyes, he still narrowed his own at him, analyzing his stance, his weaponry, his chakra signature (with Zian's help, of course; having a several-thousand-year-old incarnation of knowledge in your head did have its perks)…everything Sasuke could see was privy to Zian, who in turn formulated a battle plan.

_His weak points…looks like the ankles are delicate, maybe those?_

_**Don't be fooled kid, he's got a shitload of chakra reinforcements there.**_

****_Ribs?_

_**Nope.**_

****_Spine?_

_**Nope.**_

****_Kidneys?_

_**Look, will you just let me do all the observation and get out there and fight the brat?!**_

****_…Do I have a choice?_

_**No.**_

****"What's wrong, Kakashi's brat? You getting scared already? Hell yes you are! You're shaking in fear!"

"You're wrong."

Zabuza looked up from his taunting to see wisps of purple-red chakra streaming off of the Uchiha boy, curling like dark tendrils of flame.

"I'm shaking…_with excitement."_

With that, Sasuke leapt up, flipping in midair to unsheathe two special kunai, made for close-range combat with longer-than-average blades and more durability than their lightweight counterparts. A powerful downward swing with both hands had Sasuke's knives buried in the ground and Haku rolling to the side, using the motion to fling his senbon. Sasuke swerved to the side, missing the needles by a hairsbreadth as he whipped the daggers out of the cement and lunged again.

It almost looked like a dance, Sakura reflected. A very deadly dance with very sharp weapons instead of maracas.

…Shit. Now she'd be stuck with the image of Sasuke in a sombrero and poncho, dancing the Macarena with maracas, all week.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Haku continued their battle, as Zabuza sprang at Kakashi with his huge sword unsheathed and Naruto jumped to defend Sakura and Tazuna from the ten-or-so water clones that the missing nin had conjured.

She was left to wonder, as she watched Sasuke take a couple of senbon to the shoulder before retaliating with a lightning-fast swipe that left Haku's upper right arm bleeding, if they would all come out of the battle relatively unscathed.

Or if they would come out of it at all.

**死**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N: I know, I know…I'm evil. But I have a reason for the cliffie; I wanted to get this out today because I'll be doing a special intermission chapter next week for Sasuke's birthday. Which is July 23****rd****. I'm obsessed. XD**

**Anyways…I'm actually pretty happy. Even though Okaa-san didn't end up letting me go to Anime Expo, TDCT still went, and sent me a bunch of pictures (including one of her awesome new poster featuring America and England from Hetala…USxUK FOREVER!), and I'm getting together with her next week, so…yeah. We're doing an ****_Attack on Titan _****marathon, from what we've discussed, as well as otaku-ing out over bowls of heavenly fried rice. So…yeah. Woo!**

**I won't be able to write much in the coming days: final for summer school on Thursday, as well as chillin' with my cousins Saturday and Sunday…but I SHALL PERSEVERE! That's actually part of the reason I'm doing a Sasuke-birthday-special…the other part of said reason is the fact that I NEED MOAR HUMOR!**

**…Yeah. Anyway, I've had an anon reviewing on recent chapters, saying that I need to "deviate more from canon." So, inspired by that, I've decided to write some little messages to you guys, from my heart.**

**To the Anon Reviewer:**

**Don't worry. It's coming. Trust me. Ever heard of the Ripple Effect? One small change can cause a lot of shit to hit the fan…which is precisely what it's going to do. The gears are turning, my friend…be patient and we'll start seeing some pretty big changes.**

**To All My Reviewers, Followers, and Fave-ers:**

**Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for seeing this through! I love all you guys, and without you I wouldn't be able to be where I am, which is 45673 WORDS, 100 PAGES, TEN CHAPTERS, AND ****_COUNTING! _****I really appreciate the fact that you take time and effort out of your day and/or life to read this and review it, or add it to your favorites, or follow it. Seriously, you're all awesome. You don't know how happy I get when I get reviews/follows/faves; it seriously brightens my whole day. So…in short, THANK YOU!**

**To All My Readers:**

**I have not forgotten you, my dear silent ones. You're all just as epic as the rest of 'em for taking the time to read my budding little fan-novel (seriously, it's a bit to long to just be a fanfic at this point…), and getting me over 2480 VIEWS! YESSSSS!**

**Special Thanks to:**

**LilyVampire, l0NeR-f0r-LiFe, tsukinopen, SatoshiKyu, seti31, SharinganUchiha, and (of course) EmoOtakuTDCT, for reviewing consistently/giving helpful edits/for reviewing at all.**

**KBA-CHAN'S OMAKE THEATER!**

**This week: **_Tomato Season_

"Tomatoooo, tomatooooo, tomatooooo~!"

Sasuke sang to himself as he skipped through the green, green fields, wicker basket in hand and white summer dress (yes, you heard right, _white summer dress) _blowing in the wind. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and the tomatoes were ripe for the picking.

Konoha's tomato season had arrived, and Sasuke, the village's resident Romano-esque tomato-lover, was in heaven. The red fruits were perfect, round and juicy and brilliant, Sharingan red. He grinned as he grabbed one, just large enough to fit in his hand, and bit into it, the warm juices rolling down his tongue with their classic tomato flavor…wait, no, that was tangier than tomato…it tasted like blood. Shrugging, Sasuke squeezed the tomato again, and was rewarded with a sharp pain in the side of his head. Maybe the tomato gods were angry at him?

…

Outside of Sasuke's dream world, Naruto laughed as Sakura tried in vain to dislodged the drooling Sasuke's iron grip on her chest with a series of punches to the head.

**Sasuke: You don't have too many reviewers, do you?**

**KBA: *hits him over the head with her frying pan* You know I'm insecure about THAT!**

**Sasuke: *breaks his face on the pan, then on the ground, then on Itachi's foot* OW! What the hell, aniiki?!**

**Itachi: You deserved that, otouto. Don't comment on the number of reviewers KBA has.**

**Sasuke: Maybe she should ask people to review?**

**KBA: NO! I WILL NOT! *pulls out Gatling gun as long as she is tall***

**Sasuke: …Sorry I asked?**

**TDCT: DAMN STRAIGHT! *pulls out bazooka***

**Sasuke: …SHIIIIIIIIIT~! *starts running***

**KBA and TDCT: *start firing and laughing insanely***

**Itachi: …What am I doing with my life…? Oh, wait…SASUKE!**

**Sasuke: *still running from TDCT and KBA* YEAH?!**

**Itachi: WHY WERE YOU GROPING SAKURA IN YOUR SLEEP?!**

**Sasuke: *stops suddenly; TDCT and KBA crash into his back***

**TDCT: What the hell, man?! We were shooting at you there!**

**KBA: Yeah! Wait, what did Itachi say about you gro—!**

**Sasuke: *slaps piece of duct tape over KBA's mouth, blushing* SHUT UP!**

**KBA: Mph mm hmmm?! Nhmhmggg hm phhhhhhmm mnuhm?! (Translation: Wait, what?! When did this happen?!)**

**Itachi: Sometime during the timeskip between this chapter and the last one, I presume. So, otouto…was it worth it?**

**Sasuke: WHAT THE HELL?! *rears back looking extremely disturbed* REALLY, ITACHI?!**

**Itachi: You know, I've had a few girlfriends…I could teach you some tricks of the trade…**

**Sasuke: NO.**

**Itachi: But—**

**Sasuke: ****_NO._**

**Itachi: Fine. You win. But I get to introduce the next chapter announcer!**

**TDCT: Cool with me. KBA?**

**KBA: Mmmhmmmnuhnmh ghhnmhnph nuuuuunmhmhnhmnphun! (Translation: Will someone PLEASE get this (birdcall) duct tape off?!)**

**TDCT: *grins* She agrees.**

**KBA: MMMPH! (Translation: DAMMIT!)**

**Itachi: You can come in now!**

***door opens; Zabuza walks in; everyone stares***

**KBA: …I did not see that coming.**

**TDCT: Of course you didn't! No one expects…**

**Zabuza: …the Spanish Inquisition!**

**TDCT and Zabuza: *strike a pose***

**Everyone Else: What the (birdcall), guys.**

**Zabuza: *grins* Nice one, TDCT. Anyways, 'bout that intro…**

**TDCT: You too! And go for it!**

**Zabuza: *Announcer-Voice-no-Jutsu!* A blast from the past! Our young hero's most disastrous day of menial, monstrous, and all around monochromatic missions! Tune in next time for: Sasuke's Worst Day! The Land of Sweets Incident!**

**Sasuke: …I don't think I like the sound of that…**

**KBA: *grins evilly* Oh, you'll like it even less when you're in it…**

**TDCT: I like the way you think.**

**This chapter's page break is ****_shi, _****or ****_death._**


	11. Juu

**Chapter 10**

Sasuke's Worst Day! The Land of Sweets Incident!

**糖**

_(one month before the Wave mission)_

"Team Seven has a new mission. This is a high D-rank, borderline C-rank. Are you sure they're ready for this, Kakashi?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. They are."

"I'll trust your judgment, then. You'll be heading to the Land of Sweets, to assist the owner of a chocolate factory in his work. I assume it'll take about two weeks to complete…this will be their first time out of the village, no?"

"Hai."

"Well…wish them luck. And Kakashi?"

"Hai?"

"Don't tell them it's a borderline C, alright? I need to test them, to see if they're ready for more advanced missions. We're getting quite a few C-ranks, and the Chuunin are getting a little overworked."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Is all you can say 'hai'?"

"…Hai."

"…Heh. At least use the door this time, Kaka—"

Poof.

"—shi. Damn him!"

**糖**

"NANI~?! WE HAVE A MISSION _OUTSIDE OF KONOHA?!"_

_ I am so not in the mood to put up with his shit._

_**Gaki…I agree whole-heartedly.**_

****_Seriously, I should still be in bed._

It wasn't exactly a very well-known fact that Sasuke was, by no means, a morning person. Hell, on his off days he could sleep until about ten or eleven before getting up to train the living daylights out of himself before collapsing into bed and repeating the next day.

…Or that's what he _would _do, if he wasn't plagued by nightmares that made it impossible to get more than seven hours of rest at a time…

Sasuke shook his head slightly to rid himself of the rather dark, pitiful thoughts that had made themselves comfortable in his head. God, how he hated his inner emo. Seriously.

"Yes, Naruto, we have a mission outside of Konoha. We'll be travelling to the Land of Sweets to help out a rather eccentric chocolate maker for a couple of days."

_Shit. Why me? WHY?!_

Another not-so-commonly-known fact: Sasuke _abhorred _sweets of any kind. Sweet fruit, like mango, strawberries, and cherries were his limit. Chocolate, cookies, candies…no. Just no. Due to the influx of fangirls thanks to his little 'attitude change' after the massacre—from puppy dog to bad boy in a matter of days—the mere _scent _of chocolate had become enough to send him into dry heaves. Especially during February, and that day of pure _hell _known by civilians as "Valentine's Day" and shinobi as "Free Chocolate Day."

"Ano…Sasuke…you're looking a little green…"

"I'm fine."

The remark came out a little harsher than he'd intended, and Sakura pulled back her hand with an almost wounded expression. Something inside his chest twinged, but Sasuke ignored it. He'd need to add 'snapping at female teammate' to his daily shit list. It'd been a long day, anyways. His week had been abysmal so far, but today was by far the worst.

In summary, he'd:

-Been chased all the way to their meeting place by a hoard of rabid fangirls (they were foaming at the mouth! FOAMING AT THE MOUTH!)

-Broken two shuriken when Naruto was an idiot and sliced them in half with his kunai instead of Kakashi's shadow clone

-Dealt with Naruto's more-annoying-than-usual ramblings about ramen, Sakura, Sakura with ramen, Sakura _in _ramen…dear Kami that boy was obsessed…

-Sustained burns around his mouth and in his throat with an errant Katon (in his own defense, Naruto had shoved him at the last second, causing him to lose control of the jutsu. Really, it was a miracle he wasn't more seriously injured.)

And, last but not least…

-Been really awkward around his female teammate. Like, _really _awkward. Well, he sucked at social interaction anyway, so how was he supposed to know she'd take offense to 'I didn't know you could cook…'?

…Yeah, today so far had sucked. And now he had a mission that would most likely cause his last meals to make a rather messy reappearance. Joy. Well…all he could do now was pack up from tomorrow (Kakashi would be meeting them by the gates at 7 AM sharp) and hope to Kami he didn't throw up.

**糖**

_Shuriken._

_**Twenty-four, nice and sharp. Check.**_

****_Kunai._

_**Also twenty-four, along with four melee. Check.**_

****_Exploding tags._

_**Even set of twelve. Check.**_

****_Smoke bombs._

_**Six. Check.**_

****_Runes all seem in working order to you?_

_**Meh, I can't detect any power overloads or vacuums, so I'd say you're good.**_

****_I'm probably gonna have to feed during the mission…know anything about the Land of Sweets, o mighty demonic overlord?_

_**Only what you know…we're done packing, so you have a little time to research, gaki. If worse comes to worse and there's no forest, we can pack some of our supplies here.**_

****_Ugh…separated blood. Nothing more disgusting._

_**Believe me, I know. Now hurry up and stuff your shit in the pouches, 'cause we have work to do.**_

****_Hai, hai…_

Sasuke rolled his right shoulder (which was temperamental most of the time, and stuck a lot from the time when Itachi twisted it into (literally) a fleshy pretzel with bloody shards of bone as salt crystals), listening to the bone creak and readjust in its socket before moving to the door. Time for a late-night visit to the library and a little research. Perhaps over a large bowl full of that tomato onigiri from the stand by Ichiraku's…mmh, he could almost taste it right then! He could sense Zian rolling his eyes, but chose not to comment; after all, there _were _tomato onigiri in the very near future, so he could deal with the silver-haired man's annoyance.

Because seriously, who _couldn't _love tomato onigiri?!

**糖**

**_So this Land of Sweets is about a five-day travel to the south of Konoha, hmm? Since Baka-kashi said the mission is two weeks, or fourteen days, that leaves us with four days of actual work in the factory. You sure you can manage?_**

****_I don't know. I'll take some blood now, and shouldn't have a problem catching a rabbit or something while we're on the way back._

_**I'd take it today and the last day of travelling there. That way, you're not trying to get through the mission halfway blood-starved. It wouldn't look good on your records if you attacked and drained the client.**_

****_Point there. I don't have a good feeling about this._

_**Tch, why would you? First time outta the village and it's a ten-day round-trip to a place you know you'll hate. You're, in a word, completely screwed.**_

****_…That was two words, idiot._

_**No counter-argument, eh? I win. Again.**_

****_…Shut up._

**糖**

"SUUUUGOOOOOII~!"

"Oh my…it's so beautiful!"

Sasuke listened to his teammates' exclamations without really listening to them. He was rather thankful that he'd had to feed the night before his first trip out the village; it made the experience all the more memorable.

The trees glowed with sunlight, their wide green leaves shining jade and emerald. The patterns of light and shadow dappled the ground as the sun shone through the closely placed branches and trunks of aforementioned trees. The sky was an incredibly clear shade of brilliant blue, so blue it almost looked fake. Wispy white clouds swirled around above, like the brushstrokes of a master painter. The mountains loomed in the distance, stone monoliths rising high above the top of the seemingly-endless forest. Wildflowers grew along the path, adding splashes of ruby, amber, gold, silver, pearl, aquamarine, sapphire, rose quartz, and amethyst to the landscape. It looked…it looked…

_Perfect._

For the first time since the massacre, Sasuke simply stopped and stared at his surroundings, trying to burn it all into his memory, in utter awe of nature's true beauty. The birds chirping, the wind blowing, the leaves rustling…everything. He wanted to remember it all, so that he could walk this path again in his dreams.

"Sasuke. You'll be left behind."

Kakashi's voice startled him out of his trance. Shaking his head, Sasuke moved forward to take his position at Sakura's right (she had been appointed point) even as Naruto settled at her left.

As one, they knelt and leapt up into the trees.

**糖**

Tree-running, or tree-hopping (as some called it), was pure exhilaration.

Sure, they'd practiced it before in Konoha, and they'd passed Kakashi's little test with flying colors, but it just didn't _compare._

Sasuke was glad Kakashi had suddenly given him an earpiece and told him to scout ahead. The man must've known somehow of his craving for speed.

Another little-known fact about Sasuke Uchiha: he loved, loved, _loved _going fast. Running, jumping, fighting…anything, as long as it was high octane, would set his soul alight. Once he got going, he just…_didn't stop._

Sasuke took the radio gratefully, strapping on the throat mic and sliding in the earpiece as he made his way from one branch to the next. Then, on Kakashi's signal, he slid into the point position, only semi-conscious of Naruto and Sakura's looks. The silver-haired Jounin swept his hand down, and the Uchiha _leapt. _

He pushed even more chakra into his feet, allowing it to synthesize in an aura the same color as the sky. His legs moved faster and faster, covering more and more ground as he pulled ahead of his team. He started using his arms, too, to help manage the stray branches that seemed oh-so-fond of hitting him in the face. Soon, he was streaking through the branches, itching to release his limiters.

_Should I?_

_**They're far enough away that they shouldn't sense it. Go for it. I wanna go faster too, dammit!**_

****Sasuke smirked. Even Zian could be childish sometimes. Then he deactivated his runes, and power coursed through him, propelling him forward like a kunai from an ANBU's hand.

The last of the Uchiha clan closed his eyes and let his training take over, moving his body instinctually, letting the wind rush through his hair and lungs.

He felt the weight of his sorrow, of his regrets, of his worries lift from his shoulders. He felt…_free._

**糖**

"Holy…shit…"

Naruto's rather choked exclamation came as he stared at when Sasuke had once been, before he'd literally sped off like a bolt of black lightning. Sakura shared his feelings. There was no way…no possible way…a Genin could move that fast. Especially fresh out of the Academy as they were…there was something strange going on in the team. Something…_suspicious. _And the one common factor in all the suspicious happenings was none other than Sasuke.

_Dear Kami he's just one enigma after another, ne, Inner?_

_**Damn straight. And he's also super hot. You should jump his bones!**_

****_HELL. NO._

_**Whatever…party pooper.**_

****Sakura's Inner never ceased to surprise her, albeit in rather disturbing ways.

**糖**

Five days into their travels, absolutely nothing interesting had happened. At least, not to Sasuke. He was about an hour or so ahead of his teammates, and it was nearing dusk. Sure, they'd be arriving at their place of four-day-work soon, but the Uchiha had one last errand to run.

Using his vampiric sense of smell, Sasuke scanned the area for potential prey. A rabbit in the bushes…too scrawny. A family of field mice under that log…barely bite-sized. An owl in that knothole…too much work. Feathers were a pain in the ass to get out of his teeth, anyways. Wait! What about…yes, that would work…now to catch it…

The fawn was separated from the herd before her mother could react.

With a flash of ivory, fangs sunk into soft, sweet flesh. The animal struggled, long legs beating feebly against his body, but he paid it no mind. This fawn would be just enough to sustain him…he'd have to drain her dry or attempt to catch another meal.

_I'm sorry._

Sasuke practically inhaled the blood. Fresh was always the best…he couldn't get it too often, though, or he'd risk the Nara clan's suspicion. They already knew _something _was hunting their deer, but Sasuke had always been particularly brutal with those, so they'd assumed a wolf was in the area. He'd need to do the same with the fawn, or risk Kakashi's suspicion. Not that the man didn't already suspect he was up to something, but the longer he could prolong the imminent conversation the better off he'd be.

Sasuke never liked disguising his work. It made him feel absolutely _disgusting, _but it had to be done. By this point the baby deer was long dead, and he was lapping the last of her blood from the twin fang marks in her jugular.

Nothing like the present, then.

Sasuke reared back, claws extended, and sliced down, carving up the carcass like rice paper. Slashing wildly, he managed to make it look like a severe mauling had taken place, even chewing gingerly on some of the more exposed parts of the throat. Shaking up the blood he'd brought along with him, he dumped it over the fawn's mutilated body. It was (now) five-day-old deer blood from the Nara household, courtesy of the Hokage himself, so hopefully Kakashi's nose wouldn't be able to detect the difference. He knew his scent would be all over the carcass, but…well, there weren't exactly any wolves or bears around, were there? Hopefully the man would assume he'd examined the corpse before leaving.

Either way it was a dangerous gamble. One he had to take, but still.

He'd have preferred it if it wasn't even there in the first place.

**糖**

Their four days as chocolate factory attendants were sheer HELL. The client, a rather eccentric man by the name of Wonokane Warui, took one look at them and assigned Sakura to nut testing, Naruto to chocolate pond maintenance, Kakashi to taste testing (thank KAMI it wasn't him!), and Sasuke to cream whipping.

Well, at least he'd gotten one of the more fun jobs. The man in charge had given him a kyuubi whip, known by some as a cat o' nine tails, and told him to literally whip the cream. He'd had fun, that was for sure. Sasuke just had a feeling he'd been labeled as psychologically unstable by the way he was (unconsciously!) cackling as he snapped the nine-tailed whip about like a deranged cattle herder.

Sakura had an easy job; just put a nut (still in shell) atop a special scale, keep the good ones, discard the bad ones, and so on. Naruto had the most strenuous work. Sasuke had seen the huge ladles the men on chocolate duty had, at least five feet tall and made of solid silver ("to ensure top-quality chocolate-mixing!"), which was _damn heavy, _but then again, as they'd all seen during team dynamics, Naruto had CRAZY stamina.

Kakashi they'd all laughed at. He was shut up in a tiny room for four days, forced to eat various types of candy that did all sorts of things to him. The staff had brought him out in a glass jar (because apparently the Deflating Dum-Dums worked a little _too _well and left their sensei six inches tall), with vibrant pink hair (the Skittle Stains seemed too potent) and green-and-orange-striped skin (Pattern PEZ were a doozy!). They'd promised he'd be back to normal by nightfall, but the three of them managed to snap a couple pictures as blackmail. Thank Kami he'd thought to bring a camera.

Seriously, opportunities like these don't exactly come often.

And the best part of the mission?

Why, of course, it had to be that he didn't throw up due to the ambient scent of chocolate in the air, thus embarrassing himself, his team, and all of Konoha's ninja in the process!

Now all he had to do was get home without Kakashi having time to question him…

**糖**

Hatake Kakashi was acting normally, but a swirl of questions whirred through his mind.

He'd found the fawn left behind by Sasuke (not that he knew it was the Uchiha's work, of course) as they worked their way to their destination the last day.

Kakashi had sent a Kage Bunshin ahead of the three of them to keep an eye on Sasuke; far enough away that it wouldn't be detected by the Uchiha, but close enough to help if he got into any trouble. It had smelled the blood almost immediately, and rushed to the scene to find a mutilated fawn, recently dead but made to look as if it were days old. Hell, the bloodscent didn't even match with the actual flesh! It smelled older, as if it had been fermenting in the hot sun for a long while. Utterly disgusting.

Kakashi would have written it off if not for his student's scent coating the fawn. He couldn't detect any other scent but deer, blood, and Sasuke. Considering that it had been recently killed, and there wasn't any other scent…was it possible that Sasuke had done it? It was clear that the animal had died in excruciating pain; but why would the Uchiha do it? What were his motives?

He couldn't help it. He glanced to his right, at the raven-haired boy beside him. A monster. A wolf in sheep's clothing. He could still smell the bloodscent on Sasuke; the boy was drenched in it, as he was wearing the clothes he'd probably worn while killing the fawn. Kakashi was almost ashamed, but…that carcass had changed everything. He didn't—no, _couldn't_—trust Sasuke anymore. Not after seeing that, and knowing it was his student's fault.

But what to do about it?

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, closing his tired gray eye for a moment. He would wait it out; either catch Sasuke in the act or confront him about it, preferably somewhere private.

Either way, he had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answers the boy provided him.

**糖**

Sasuke flinched, just barely, as he heard Kakashi's heart rate speed up, and saw the man cast a sideways glance at him.

**_Act normal, gaki. Your behavior will determine his course of action._**

****_Mm._

He knew Kakashi had found the fawn's body. He'd also probably made the wrong assumption; that Sasuke had killed the animal out of sport rather than necessity, and that it had died a horribly painful death.

It couldn't be farther from the truth; he should know, as he's experienced it before. A vampire's saliva contained chemicals that cause a sort of "high" upon entering the body. Thus, any being, human or animal, that dies via vampiric means dies in bliss. Of course, he'd hidden the fang marks with his gnawing of the neck.

So now Kakashi thought he was some form of barely contained sociopath? Wonderful. Now he would play the waiting game; either Kakashi would catch him hunting…or the silver-haired man would confront him directly. Neither option was one Sasuke was prepared for.

Even as they streaked through the trees at speeds that would rival a galloping horse, all Sasuke could think was,

_He knows. He's coming for me._

And somehow…the fact that Kakashi was his sensei made it all the more terrifying.

**糖**

**_~Tsuzuku~_**

**A/N: Well…that was intense. Kami, gimme some credit. I wrote most of this today. XD Anyway, today is very special. You know why?**

**…**

**It's Sasuke's birthday~! YAAAAY~! Without you this fic wouldn't exist, because you're the main character! **

**Sasuke: Gee, thanks…**

**KBA: SHUT UP! It's not time for us to be here yet!**

***random super-long wooden cane appears and pulls them both out of sight***

**So…yeah. One of you guys said you wanted Sasuke to eat a rabbit last chapter, so I thought,**

**"Hey…why not do that ****_this _****chapter? :3"**

**But anyway, FAQ TIME!**

**Q: Why does Kakashi act normally in the other chapters when he's suspicious of Sasuke here?**

**A: Two reasons: this wasn't a planned development and he's a former ANBU skilled at hiding things. Faking emotions is no problem for him.**

**Q: Why does Zian seem childish here?  
A: It's the same as before: Sasuke's more outspoken and hot-tempered than canon because of Zian's influence. Sasuke is changing Zian too; he's more childish than he was in the past because he's basically embodying that side of Sasuke, if that makes sense.**

**Oh, and also: it's pretty obvious (at least to me…), but whoever guesses this chapter's reference first gets a shout-out next time as well as a cameo as next chapter's intro-guy (or girl). So leave your guesses in the reviews! :3**

**KBA-chan's Omake Theater!**

**This Week: **Sasuke and the Chocolate Factory

**WARNING: TOTAL CRACK**

Once upon a time there lived a little emo boy named Sasuke. Everyone hated him because he hated chocolate.

Then, one day, he was chosen out of all the town's children to become the heir to a local entrepreneur's chocolate empire. Sasuke was happy because the job gave him money, but strived to make chocolate to suit his own tastes. So, with his crack team of designers, he created the world's first chocolate-covered tomato. It sold like wildfire (mostly because he was hot and his fangirls thought thathe would date them if they bought them), and Sasuke became extremely rich. Then he fell in love with a girl named Sakura who also hated chocolate.

They blew up the factory, destroyed all the world's chocolate, and caused a systemic economic collapse before living happily ever after in the Swiss Alps.

**Sasuke: What…the…hell…**

**KBA: I told you it was cracktastic!**

**Sasuke: This is my birthday present?**

**KBA: Nope. This is!**

***huge cake made of tomatoes and tomato onigiri rolls in***

**Sasuke: *le gasp* This…this is…**

**Itachi and TDCT: *poke their heads out from around the cake* Surprise!**

***top of cake bursts open***

**Sakura: Happy Birthday, Sasuke!**

***kisses Sasuke on the cheek; Sasuke turns Hinata-red***

**Sasuke: I…I…*incoherent stuttering* **

**Sakura: *blushing and smiling* I hope you like the cake.**

**Sasuke: I…I do, thanks…Sakura.**

**Sakura: Don't mention it.**

**Itachi, TDCT, and KBA: AWWW~!**

**Itachi: Sasuke's finally growing up! *wipes tear from eye***

**KBA: Yeah…I'm proud of him! He's not as much of a bastard as he could've been!**

**TDCT: *grins* Still a bastard, though. Didn't fully dodge that bullet, did we?**

***door opens***

**KBA: Ah, and here's our guest! I though she'd be fitting to intro this next chapter, as it's a major event and all.**

**Mikoto: *waves, then hugs Sasuke (who's in shock)* Hello, everyone! I'm back!  
KBA: Here to stay?**

**Mikoto: Possibly. *smiles* Well, let's get going then!**

**TDCT: Hai~!**

**Itachi: *hugs Mikoto* We missed you.**

**Mikoto: *hugs him back* I know. There'll be time to catch up later, though. For now…Sasuke, I give you my blessing**

**Sasuke: *looks up from where he's talking to Sakura* Eh?**

**Mikoto: *laughs* It's nothing. Anyways…*Announcer-Voice-no-Jutsu!* Our young hero fights for his life, but he's also facing conflict from within. Can Sasuke withstand the pressure, or will he crack? Tune in next time to find out, in: A Two-Front War! Sasuke vs. Haku!**

**This chapter's page break is ****_to, _****or ****_sugar._**

**Thank you all for getting me this far. Ten chapters (officially now), 110 pages, and 50000 words. I love you all!**


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